The Lion King Legacies - Book Four: The Inferno
by Haradion
Summary: Danyal and the Twins try to prevent the Rebellion against the Shai'tan's tyranny falling apart, Vitani resorts to a deception to hold them together and Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra now brings together all of his forces for the endgame. And at the heart of it all, Prince Kiava attempts to win the trust of Carroscirr and the allies who can help reclaim his Kingdom. Or bring about its end.
1. Prologue - War In Heaven

**THE LION KING - LEGACIES:**

**Book 4.**

DISCLAIMER:

THIS IS A PIECE OF FANFICTION.

CHARACTERS, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT APPEAR IN THE LION KING, THE LION KING 2, THE LION KING 1½ AND THE LION KING SNA, ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF DISNEY AND AFFILIATED COMPANIES.

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS ARE MY OWN INTERLECTUAL PROPERTY.

IF YOU CONSIDER THIS INTERLECTUAL THAT IS.

**"Welcome people, to the fourth installment of the exciting new Series: The Lion King – Legacies.**

**Please note: if you have not yet read "Lion King: Judgment", or the previous installments of The Lion King Legacies – you are encouraged to do so.**

**A Special Thank you to JJZ-109, Chu10, and all of the loyal readers and repeat reviewers. Your contributions are appreciated, and are what have driven me so far in the completion of this story.**

**Many thanks.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

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**Prologue: War in Heaven**

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The Dark Lion moved across the dismal, grayish plains as quickly as he could. Like most of the Spirits, the Twilight realm unsettled him. It did not have the same life that the mortal world had, the same vibrancy, or the same allure. Nor was it anything like the heavens which he now inhabited since his death. They were however, a convenient place to gather, and speak. And it was to this purpose which he now bent himself.

The Dark lion made his way through the twisting writhing mists, seemingly knowing of some direction or location to travel, though there were no landmarks or features which might have pointed a casual traveler in the correct direction. It was, barren of life. Eventually, the mists cleared, and he saw the back of a pair of other lions. They were similar in size and shape. Golden, with manes and tail tips of a flaming crimson. They stood proud and noble, even with their back to him looking every inch kings. As he approached, he cleared his throat. They turned as one. The younger of the lions smiled when he saw him. Next to them stood another Darker Lion, who stood there is silence.

"Kovu." Simba said in greeting. Kovu bowed his head.

"Simba… Is everyone here yet?" He asked him. Simba shook his head.

"Nala will be a few moments… She isn't as… disturbed by this plane as my father and I, and often uses its mists to recall fond memories of happier times. I can't stand to have my mind ripped open in front of me, but she finds the process a relief to watching recent events…" Even as he finished speaking, the air rippled slightly, and a lioness emerged into view. She was a cream coated lioness, with startlingly blue eyes. Immediately, she moved to her mate, and nuzzled him, purring softly. When she saw Kovu however she smiled.

"It's good to see you, Kovu." She said, as if he were a visiting relative. It didn't seem necessary to state, but the habits of a lifetime were still in check, and it was sometimes hard to let go of the manners and courtesies which had been so prevalent in their mortal lives. Kovu returned the greeting warmly. He had always liked the King's mate. She was compassionate, pleasant, and spoke her mind.

"We've been watching the activities of your Son, Kovu. He's doing remarkably well. Better than any of us would have done in his place, I would wager." Simba said. Kovu smiled proudly. That much was true. Watching from the shadows and shadelands had been a grueling and taxing experience for any parent to sit and watch as their child underwent such terrors and experiences, but it had to be said, Kiava had successes thus far, and had indeed done remarkably well. Already kingly qualities were showing. His growth had been extraordinary. Kovu could not help but feel proud of his Son. Of the young prince.

"He is indeed a remarkable young cub…" He said. Simba smiled.

"Cub? Take a closer look… When I was a cub, I was dwarfed by a trio of Hyena's three times my size… He is nearly as big as _Asante, _if you look… Granted, she is a small specimen for a Hyena, but if I am not very much mistaken, Kiava is nearing adolescence…" He said. Kovu leaned down, and saw that the ghostly waterhole by which they stood opened not out into a pool of water but that the liquid rippled and shifted, showing shapes and images. The image before them now, was of Kiava… In the Process of beating a young Hyena senseless. Kovu blinked as Kiava dodged the blows of two Hyenas, causing them to crash into one another, before landing on the nape of a third, and begin to knock the creature out. He looked up at Simba who was grinning.

"Now _I _couldn't do _that _as a cub." Simba said. Kovu winced.

"I suspect we may have to thank your mother for that…" He said, looking at Nala. Nala shook her head.

"Oh Kovu… I told you she knew what she was doing… And you can't deny that it has worked, for the most part…" She pointed out. Kovu sighed.

"I know… I merely lament the necessity for such… brutality." He said. Simba nodded slowly. We all do, Kovu. We all do." The Water shifted again, and centered on the face of another. A much older lioness, whom Kovu recognized as his sister, Vitani. Her eyes were cold and distant. Kovu sighed when seeing her, and Simba nodded sympathetically.

"Your sister… Will she manage?"

"Vitani is far stronger than I ever was, Simba… But this latest tragerdy has hurt her deeply. I worry it will cause her to make mistakes… to become reckless."

"Let us hope not…" Simba said, as Inti and Koron stepped into the vision, speaking to Vitani, who listened carefully, and then nodded. Whatever had been said, Inti seemed satisfied by it, and departed, nodding his head at a a pair of Cheetahs, who stood up and followed him.

"Almasi's children seem to have adapted well…" Kovu observed. Simba winced at that.

"I wouldn't celebrate any event which forces a child to become a warrior or Warleader Kovu, no matter how remarkable… Though perhaps your perspective is different to mine… You did the same, as I recall…"

"Not as young… but yes." Kovu admitted.

The image beneath them shifted and pulsed yet again, and it showed the face of another young lion. This one was older than the cubs, seemingly an adolecesnt, though now the lion's mane was stretched fully around its face, in a rough circle, and extended back behind his neck. he was a young adult male lion, and Nala nodded upon seeing Danyal again. Simba smiled.

"I remember _this_ one. Seems he got his wish to fight after all… You knew the boy's mother, didn't you?" Simba said. Kovu nodded uncertainly.

"Yes… I knew _Kulana_ very well. She and I were very good friends… But she left about half a year before Zira put her plan into action… I never saw her again, until the day she returned to the Pridelands… The day she died. You never met her alive. Vitani knew her, but never seemed able to make up her mind as to wether she liked her or didn't…" Kovu said. Simba nodded.

"Either way, her son appears to be doing well for himself… and found himself a… companion… in the form of Sundar… Anyone have any idea what her powers represent, or what it can mean?" He asked. None of them said a word. The Darker lion who up till now had said nothing shook his head.

"We can't know… If it is important, it will reveal itself at a later date… For now, our biggest concern should be Kiava… And his… Plan."

"Taka's plan, you mean." Mufasa said, scowling. Kovu shrugged.

"It's entirely possible that the Hyenas will side with Kiava… We do not know how they will react to this. Scar seemed to think they could be convinced to do the right thing…"

"Scar has a blind spot when it comes to those creatures. I am not my father, I do not detest their very existence, but even I have cause for concern about their reliability. They could turn on Kiava at a moment's notice. They have before."

"Simba, as I recall, Scar turned on them…"

"Another reason for them not to trust Kiava. I think this ill advised…" Mufasa said. He looked at the darker lion, who still didn't betray any emotion or thought. "What about you, Tojo? You are probably the one lion besides Scar who ever trusted them…"

Tojo shifted.

"That's likely because I was the one lion besides Scar whom they ever liked." He paused.

"Shenzi and Banzai are not regular Hyenas. I recall the day they arrived in the Pridelands, and the days that followed. They _learnt _different ways of thinking. They were foolish, reckless, and easily manipulated to begin with, but they became cunning and dangerous as time went on. Traits that they learnt from Scar. Its possible, that if Kiava could instill them with some of _his _traits, the Hyenas could be persuaded to join forces with Kiava… Especially if he was able to help them against the Shai'tan. Amun's forces are pushing them to their very limit. Soon, they may be desperate enough to try anything, Simba. And that might include listening to and working with Kiava… But it might just as easily include killing him, or giving him to the Shai'tan. We can't know for certain which they would do…" He said. Kovu coughed.

"Father… Perhaps if you or Scar appeared to Shenzi… if you spoke to them." Mufasa shook his head.

"No! No, we can't intervene like that… I can tolerate Scar's interference with Kiava, so long as it is minimal and only in a guiding capacity. We can't directly influence events, and we can't appear to those that we knew personally. Scar never knew Kiava, and vice versa, but if people regularly began seeing the spirits of friends, or enemies, they were killed long ago, they would never be able to move on with their lives. Shenzi and Banzai were good friends with both of you. For you to interfere could be disastrous.

"Or it could go well."

"We have no way of knowing beforehand which it would it be. We can't risk it. We shall have to trust Kiava to manage this on his own, without hour influence. Hopefully… He can convince Shenzi… If not… I don't think out combined influence could help him get out of the Ivory Tower alive…" Mufasa said. Kovu sighed.

"Very well. Turning out attention to other matters." He waved his paw, and the pool shifted again. This time, it displayed no friends or lions or mortals of any kind. It merley showed the great cosmic depths of space. The Stars and lights which covered the sky. Clouds of gas and dust. The raging power of the stars glowing in their glorious light.

And behind them… something else.

It appeared to look like a cloud, or a swarm. A blackness. A darkness. A blight. And it was growing in size, covering the heavens, devouring stars and worlds. Kovu sighed when he saw it. A void. The destruction of the heavens.

"It's growing… It's not coming as fast now, but its growing still. As the Shai'tan's power grows, so does the blight in heaven. AS the Shai'tan kill, it is the heavens which die. I wonder if they knew the damage their action were having upon the heavens, would it slow their hatred, or hasten it? Either way, it confirms what we already know… As the Pridelands burn, so do the heavens… And we haven't stopped it yet." He said.

"We're holding it back… Keeping it at bay. But with each day, it takes more of our strength to withstand. Kiava's time is running out. Sooner or later, he must defeat the Emperor, or there may be nothing left." Nala added.

Simba sighed.

"Were the need not so desperate, I would rage at our actions, using a boy in such a way."

"If he can convince the Hyenas, he will have a far better chance at stopping this…" Tojo pointed out.

"But if he fails what then?" Mufasa asked.

Nobody answered. For no one had an answer.

* * *

**AN:**

**An interesting little segment, showing that the Spirits have indeed been looking and watching throughout the story so far. I hope you found it interesting. Now. Onwards, to the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 1 - Shadows and Dust

**"Morning all. Here is Chapter 1 of the next book of The Lion King Legacies.**

**Hello everyone. Welcome to the next book in Legacies! And the theme of this book will be… Secrets! Secrets and schemes and plans and conspiracies will be a running theme throughout this, such as training and growth were themes in the last book. Storm somehow managed to become the longest book I have ever written, surpassing even that of Judgement, by becoming 25 chapters long. Inferno, has been planned to reach 30 chapters in length. The final book in the series has not yet been plotted in detail, but will likely be 30 chapters, or longer, in length. Okay. So. You all know where we left off in the last book, and the Prologue, like last time, is intended to be interesting, but does not really move the plot forward.**

**The first few chapters of this book will be very quick, very fast paced, and very intense, and I am a little worried it will be a little jarring. This is because the next few chapters were intending to appear not at the beginning of this book, but at the end of the last, however, for space and plotting purposes, I decided to end the book with the Battle of the Glade, and the revelations concerning Marsade and Kufa.**

**I do think you shall enjoy this Chapter however.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

**Author:** Nope, this is the penultimate story. There is a fifth story planned, in which everything explodes. The Lion Spirits are the most active in the Heavens, owing somewhat to their attitude in life... However, Zazu while he is fine and at peace - is not appearing in this story... Thanks for the review!

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**Chapter 1: Shadows and Dust**

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Kiava groaned. His head was killing him. It throbbed and pulsed. He clutched a paw to his head, and was unsurprised when he pulled it away and saw the red glisten of blood there. He had taken a serious blow to back of the skull. He tried to think back, to the moments before he had lost consciousness. He recalled… being confronted by a group of Hyenas upon approaching Carroscirr… He also recalled short skirmish which had broken out soon afterwards. He had refused to tell them of his mission… and they had… they had thought him a spy. The sudden appearance of Zuri had made them panic, and they had fought and then… Then it was blur. They had fought the Hyenas off… He had thought that they were winning. He remembered knocking out one of the leaders and speaking to the last Hyena.

Then the memories returned.

The leader of the Hyenas had possessed some form of magic… Some form of Shamanism. He groaned aloud.

"Ugh… That's not fair." He muttered. Zuri. Where was she? Where were the others?

He looked around in panic. He could see no one. In fact, it was very dark, and he guessed he was in some kind of cave, or cavern. Looking around he thought he could see a rocky wall face. But between him and the rest of the cavern, was the claustrophobic entrapment of bones. He guessed it was a rib cage of come description, forming a rough cage around him. A quick test of the bone's iron strength, told him was not escaping any time soon. Looking around, he found the entrance. The top half of the ribcage, where the spine would have gone, formed the front of the cell, and there, a second, lighter series of bones stood. He guessed that with enough strength, it could be moved away. But it was not something a single cub could do on his own. He growled in frustration.

"Hey, Boss! The boy-cub is awake!" A voice said. Kiava peered into the darkness, his eyes becoming adjusted to the gloom, and he could indeed make out a pair of eyes ahead of him. A guard or sentinel of some kind? It was joined a minute later by a second, familiar pair of eyes. It was the same female Hyena he had seen earlier. The one with the unearthly powers, and control of the winds. She looked at him coldly.

"Leave us, for the moment." She told the guard, who left quickly. Asante glared down at him.

"Where Am I?" Kiava asked. Asante didn't answer. He swallowed, and looked around. "Given the prevalent usage of bones, I'd hazard a guess that we are in the Elephant Graveyard, heart of the Shadowlands… And given the cavernous space… What would Vitani call it? _Subterranean._ Can I assume that I am in Carroscirr?" He asked. Asante smiled.

"You can assume whatever you like…" She said calmly. The young Hyena looked him up and down.

"Where are my friends?" Kiava asked. The Hyena paused.

"The monkey and meerkat are elsewhere… The Gorrila proved difficult to imprison, until we threatened to cut their throats. That shut it up… As for the other cub… Well…"

"If you've hurt her…"

"Oh, we haven't hurt her… Yet. Bhagari is of the opinion that you are spies, for the Shai'tan, trying to discover the pass way through the labyrinth… It's the only thing between us, and the Shai'tan… And it only remains secure, because we kill every spy they send snooping around to divine the correct route." She said. Kiava swallowed.

"I am not a spy."

"No… of course not. You are Kiava… Son of Kovu, Son of Kiara. It's a bold claim to make… Not having ever met either of them, I couldn't comment on the resemblance. But, I was in the Pridelands hunting on the day the Shai'tan burnt Pride Rock… Just a pup of course, but I was there. I watched Marsade burn Pride Rock, erasing every plant and animal from its surface. All that remains is a shadow. A Skeleton, the faint silhouette of a Great Rock, and piles and piles of ash and dust… Am I to believe that you escaped such a slaughter?"

"I am standing here…"

"Unless, you are merely an orphaned rouge lion cub, so desperate for protection that you'd invent a ludicrous story in order to survive. Were it not so grandiose, I'd commend its originality." Asante said scornfully. Kiava began to growl.

"Let me out of here, and I'll-"

Asante paced in front of him.

"You can offer no proof of your identity. I have half a mind to just leave you here… But we can't spare the meat right now… So." She said. She clicked her tongue, and several more Hyena's moved into view. Kiava didn't shrink back, but he did draw his claws. However, they moved not to attack, but to remove the block which barred his exit from the cell. Kiava stepped out gingerly.

"You made a speak with Shenzi, the leader of the Hyenas here… My mother has decided to grant that request…" She said, though her expression told him what she thought of that as a concept. Clearly she was unimpressed. Kiava however stopped and stared at her.

"Shenzi is your mother?" He asked in surprise. Asante laughed, as all Hyenas did, and it sent chills down Kiava's spine.

"You didn't know? I am Asante… Daughter of Shenzi and Banzai. Not as longwinded a title as "Flame of Pride Rock…" Perhaps "Storm of Carroscirr" is more suitable? She said sarcastically. Kiava stared at her for a moment. Then bowed his head.

"My apologies, your highness." She said. Asante stared at him in surprise, taken aback by the bow. Never in history, had a lion willingly bowed to a Hyena. The other Hyenas seemed likewise stunned and one of them almost choked. Asante coughed, now looking slightly awkward.

"Ummm… No worries?" She said, uncertainly. Kiava nodded and followed her from the cell.

He followed the Hyena's lead, down a long and twisted corridor. It confirms Kiava's guess that this was indeed Carroscirr. The darkened stone passageways were lined with ivory, elephant tusks, bones, teeth and horns, which glistened white. Several holes opened out onto open skyline, letting moonlight light the walkways. The Ivory glistened silver in the lunar light. Here and there were other Hyenas, some young, some old. They were all of the same clan as Asante, that was clear, the unmistakable spots that covered their rear and back gave that away in a heartbeat. They were of mixed gender, males and females, lying around here and there, in little enclaves. Some were alone, attempting to get some sleep in the busy area, others were gathered in families, resting next to partners and pups. Occasionally a raised voice would betray a laugh, or an argument. Some of them feasted on a leg of meat, though this was few and far between. The majority of the Hyenas looked underfed and malnourished. As they passed, reactions were different. Some viewed the young lion cub with curiosity, and surprise. Others reacted with a scowl or frown. A few leered at him directly, showing sharp pointed teeth as they did so, chuckling to one another as they did. Reaction was more pointed towards Asante. Hyenas moved out of the way as she approached, though they stumbled over one another in other places. Several gave nods of acknowledgement, even the occasionally smile of gratitude. They same was true of the Shadowpups themselves, the Hyenas who moved around them. They were, Kiava was beginning to realize, a sort of cross, between Asante's bodyguard, and her own private pack. Hyenas looked and gave them a measure of respect. If anything, the most was received from those who were fighters for this Hyena clan. Warriors and soldiers, marked by scars and injuries and limps and wounds. They gave the most pronounced movement, they smiled when they made eye contact. It was a mark of respect, camaraderie between fighters.

Kiava was forced to reassess the Shadowpups, as they had been nicknamed. They were without scars and injuries… But was that, he now wondered, simply because they had never been injured? Or because they were too good? And what did that make Asante, their leader?

* * *

far away from the Tower's base, out of sight from prying eyes and watchers, asmall green Serpent spoke to Amun in harsh disjointed hissing whisper. He listened carefully, before giving a huge grin.

"**_Well… It would seem there is a way through the Labyrinth after all! And they were foolish enough to reveal it without first checking for spies?" Amun asked, incredulous._**

"Several were injured my Lord… All were ssporting woundssssss of some description, and their leader looked about to lose consciousnessss… They were also dragging prisonersssss, their attention was diverted… This opertunity is unlikely to be repeated soon! So many factors… So many _weaknesssssessss… _They have made a mistake… We should strike now!" The Snake hissed. Amun nodded, cheerfully.

"**_Indeed, young snake. You have done very well!"_** He turned to Abyss.

"Ensure that this snake is given his own command… He is eager for battle, and has an eye for strategy." Then turning to the jackal at his other side, he grinned.

"**Sevear… Send in the first wave of our attack… Bring down this Tower!"**

* * *

Kiava and Asante made their way past the last of the Hyenas, (Kiava was unable to get a good enough look to even guess their numbers) the passageways began to open out, and the ground began to slant downwards, going deeper, deeper, not to the top of the tower as he would have guessed but down and deeper. And the light became less of the silvery grey he had seen above the ground, but a sickly, twisted green. The air became hotter too, despite the night's air. They came to the entrance of a tunnel, guarded by another pair of Hyenas. These were clearly veterans, older than Asante by some time, and pitted with war wounds. Asante passed them without comment, and Kiava followed.

Then the tunnel opened up into a great cavern. It was lit, not by the light of the moon, but by the green heat filled geysers which littered the room. In the center of the room, was pile of bones, legs, flanks, and skulls, piled into the center of the room. They were a polished ivory white, and cracked where the marrow had been sucked from them. At the very top of the pile, was an Elephant Skull. It towered over them, but it was only that of young elephant, and there, flopped in the middle where its truck would have been, sat an old Hyena. Her paws rested either side of the tusks which jutted out from either side of her. Next to her stood another Hyena, a male, who looked down the roughly made terrace She arched her neck when she saw Asante enter the room, but Kiava attention was immediately diverted by the familiar yellow form of a lioness cub at the foot of the dais. She was standing there, staring up at the Matriarch, but we was shaking slightly, clearly terrified. She turned and her face lit up when she saw Kiava.

"Zuri!" Kiava said, his face flooding with relief. Zuri opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the sound of the cheiften Hyena's sharp voice.

"So! This is the fabled "King" of the Pridelands? A strange thing… I imagined you'd be taller…" She said. Then she stood up on her throne of skulls. "You were rather instant that you speak to me? I am Shenzi. Named by some as Shadowqueen, chieftain of these Hyenas's you see here…" She said. Kiava looked up at her, and then bowed his head.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." He said. If his bowing to Asante had caused a stir, it sent a murmur around the throne room of this bone palace as he did so now. Shenzi's eye narrowed, as if trying to decipher whether it was a mockery or not. She didn't say anything for a moment. Then she cleared her throat.

"I would not have expected such manners from a Lion, even in my own throne room…" She commented. Kiava cocked it head.

"I will be the first to admit that my ancestors were remiss in their dealings with the Hyenas… Motivated out of some long forgotten grieviance… My parents were murdered before they could share that particular prejudice with me…" He said carefully. Shenzi stared at him intently.

"You wished to speak to me… Speak then."

"I shall, but first I have a question… My friend, Zuri. Why is she here? Not that I want her gone, I am merely curious as to your reasons for summoning her before me." He said slowly. Shenzi smirked.

"It is a Hyena custom to perform dealings with the females _before _the males…" She admitted. Kiava nodded slowly, and Zuri smiled.

"And there was me, being led to believe Hyena's were _uncivilized." _She said.

There was deathly silence, throughout the throne room.

Then it erupted into laughter. Shenzi howled, and the gathered Hyena's in the throne room chorused with giggled. Smirking, Shenzi pointed a claw at Zuri.

"You are brave indeed to joke in front of Hyenas, girl. I like you're guts." She said.

"For breakfast or supper?" Kiava asked. Shenzi's mouth twitched, but she shook her head.

"Her's was better."

"They usually are." He cleared his throat. But the male next to Shenzi eyed him warily.

"What, might I ask, are too Lion cubs doing, employed as spies for the Shai'tan? Are you stupid, or under coercion? Your answer won't change our response, but it would make me sympathetic as I cut your throat." Banzai said. Kiava glanced at him warily.

"We are no spies… My Name is Kiava. I am the Son of Kovu, and Kiara, King and Queen of Pride Rock." Kiava said carefully. Shenzi nodded slowly.

"Your friend argued the same case…" She slowly walked down the steps towards Kiava. Kiava met her gaze and didn't flinch even as she approached him. Kiava heard Zuri hold her breath as she approached Kiava, extended a paw and grabbed his chin. She moved it roughly, and Kiava kept his gaze on her, as he did. Shenzi held it for a moment, before releasing him.

"I knew Kovu… For a very short time, when he was younger than you are now. Just a tiny brat he was… a very small bundle of fur. His parents had been killed by the River Lord, Sobek… I don't think its cowardice to say how pleased I am that I wasn't involved in _that _battle… Scar took him in… I'll admit you bear an uncanny resemblance to him… But you remind me more of Ahadi… than him. Same coat… Same fur." She shook her head. "I _hated _that lion… Egotistical, arrogant fool…" She shook her head again.

"Alright." Banzai said. "Let's just say, for a moment that we believed you… That you are indeed who you say you are… Then you are heir to Priderock and the Pridelands… You'd be far better off, seeking refuge in the Mountainlands, or the Southlands. Why come here, to the Elephant Graveyard?" He asked. Kiava blinked.

"I… I have come here with an offer." He decided the best option was to get it out in the open. Concealment and secrecy had nearly cost him at the border. "I am bringing an offer of Alliance, between myself, and you. Against the Shai'tan, and the Imperium. Against Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra." He said.

He expected there to be shouts of laughter. A chorus of giggles and laughter. Instead he received stoic silence. Shenzi's smirk vanished, and she became deadly serious once again.

"How many of you survived the attack on Pride Rock?"

"Eight". Kiava said without hesitation. Banzai interrupted.

"How many of those aren't cubs?" He asked. Kiava paused.

"Four." He admitted. "And one of them is an adolescent." he said.

"So Three." Banzai said. There was murmuring around them. Shenzi scowled.

"That's not much to offer us." Asante said for the first time, glaring at him. Kiava winced. That was of course the truth. If he had been offering this before the attack, then there might have been some incentive, but a ragtag group of survivors was far less use to the Hyenas that a fully sized Pride.

"It's better than no lionesses…" Kiava said. Shenzi scowled at then shook her head.

"No, Kiava. I disagree. I would say that _none,_ is by far the best number of lionesses to be fighting alongside with." She said. Banzai nodded in agreement.

"But-"

"Kiava, you forget! We had an alliance with a Lion once, before, and look where that landed us!" She growled. "You claim not to know the reason for the enmity between Lionesses and Hyenas? There are several events… But the most recent of which happened many years ago, when I was a very young Hyena…" She growled showing teeth. "I was young, foolish and reckless, I won't deny it. I lead my two comrades here on a hunt in the Pridelands. _Poaching_ you call it. We call it _eating_. We were caught, and Ahadi, such a noble and proud King, wanted me executed. Imagine that… A young girl, not even a fully grown Hyena, and adolescent, facing a death-sentence for stealing food… I was terrified. But I was spared that grisly fate by the Kings second Son… He went by a different name then – one lost to antiquity, but known by history as Scar." She said. Then she growled. "I became _devoted _to that lion, Kiava. Not only did her save our lives, but also secured for us the right to hunt in the Pridelands… It all came to a crashing when a fanatic by the name of _Caliban _abused such privilege, and murdered the Queen herself… An entire nation, a whole _Race, _was judged then and there on the actions of one fanatic! We are all exiled, then and there, on pain of death!" She said.

"That was wrong, what happened to you…" Kiava said, wincing at the injustice, which did seem archetypical of the earlier Kings.

"Oh but it gets better! See, We weren't the only ones to incur Ahadi's displeasure… he maimed and tortured his own Son for the part he played in her death, which was even less than out own… But we still threw in out lot with this King… King Scar. The only lioness who knew was Zira… Devilqueen, she became known as. Ah, but those two lions, those were good times…" She said. Kiava stood still, not daring to interrupt.

"There were bad times too… Horrific ones… But that is life, isn't it? Ups and downs? Except, here's the thing, Kiava… When Scar's reign comes crashing down, do you know what he does? He blames the whole thing, on us… _Everything, _Kiava. Including the atrocities he committed in his madness… _Everything!"_

"Scar left you in the lurche." Kiava said. Shenzi laughed.

"The King, whom we served our entire adult lives, tried to walk away on a road of our corpses… The same Hyenas which helped murder his father and brother, the ones who _gave _him power… Became another thing for him to sacrifice for his own skin… And when we took our vengeance for that? Zira, his mate, so recently exiled herself, drove us from our home… Zira, who's life I personally saved from _Bane_!" She said. Then she lowered her voice.

"So no, Kiava. Forgive me for sounding discourteous… Thanks, but No Thanks. We will survive this without the aid of any more lions, thank you very much. If you kill Amun? Break this siege? Defeat an army of jackals, Wilddogs and snakes, all by yourself? Then perhaps, we might be able to come to an arrangement… But for three Lionesses, and the vague promise of fighting together? I think Not, Kiava. We have been deceived before… we won't be again. We will not Trust the word of a Lion." Shenzi said firmly. There was a murmur of approval from around them as the Hyenas heard this. Zuri looked downcast, and Kiava looked angry but not surprised.

"Is my whole race to be judged, upon the actions of a fanatic?" He asked. There was another grumble now, at his impertinence, but Shenzi glared at him indignantly. Then she shook her head, and waved a paw.

"I'll agree that you are not a Shai'tan Spy. And for your manners and diplomacy, go with peace between us... You are to be given free passage from Carroscirr to the Shadowlands. After that you are on your own. I wish you luck in your own quest, Pridelander. But wishes are all I have to give you." She said. Kiava sighed, defeated. He would need to find some other group. Some other fighters… Perhaps he could still use the Hyenas to keep Amun out of his hair until he had the strength to face him – then perhaps, he could defeat the Shai'tan, and earn their trust and respect. But as it was, it was clearly futile to-.

A loud roar echoed throughout the bowls of Carroscirr.

"What in the…" Asante began.

And with a huge roar, a pack of Wilddogs burst through the tunnel. A pair of teeth closed around the first sentinels neck, ripping his throat out. The second went down under a rain of blows.

Asante was the first to react, giving commands quickly, as the surrounding Hyenas gathered around the throne. Banzai was next, leaping from the great height to land atop a Jackal, and biting into its spine.

"HOLD! The Labyrinth is Breached! It's Breached!" Asante shouted, quickly, as shouts of alarm began to fill the air. The Ivory tower was under attack… And the tunnels were breached. More and more Wilddogs began to pour.

Amun's booming laughter could be heard throughout the tunnels. At last! At last the Hyenas had nowhere left to run! Nowhere to hide, not way to slink away and attack again. They were surrounded. Soon enough, they would begin the slaughter…

Carroscirr, would fall.

* * *

**AN:**

**There we go, ladies and gentlemen! A new Prologue and a new chapter, all in the same day!**

**What do you guys think of Shenzi and Banzai?**

**My interpretation, is the growth present in them from the beginning of the first movie, to end, continued. They are not geniuses, but significantly above average Hyena intelligence, and very dangerous. Skillful fighters and leaders.**

**Also, I am trying out a new system. Where as in the last three books, I always ensure that each chapter was dedicated to only a single Viewpoint character, there will be points in this book, where it will flip to a second viewpoint character, even when they are not in the same events, or focusing on the same issues. This is a spacing issue, since otherwise, things get messy. I think you will like it.**

**There will also be no song chapters, since no one commented on them last time; I gather them to be of minimum interest.**

**As ever, please, leave a review, and as always, have a nice day.**

**P.S. A quick shout out to anyone who got exam results… Good work, everyone!**

**Haradion**


	3. Chapter 2 - Imperial Policy

**"Morning all. Here is Chapter 2.**

**And here is out first look at Castella-Ra, our villainess' viewpoint character. This was a challenge to write, since I don't have a very good feel for the character yet... But I think you will find it interesting.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**LoveNeverDies8:** Maybe... But on the other hand, if enough of them are killed in the fighting, then it may be for nothing. Even if the Cubs escape... There is no telling if this will motivate the Hyenas into an alliance... It could just as easily convince them of the necessity to defend their own borders... You seem rather bloodthirsty... whom to you think is the most likley to get the chop? Kiava, Zuri, Bruce, Ookai or Buzz? If - as you think - one of them is likely to be killed? I am curious...

**sandydragon: **True. Shenzi is a smart one. And dangerous as well, lets not forget. The Hyena's do know the terrain very well, that is true, but the Wilddogs have the element of surprise, and control of the exits, lets not forget... This could be a close call.

**Author:** Ed it around an about - just not in the throne room at the moment. Don't worry, you'll be seeing a little more of him alter. Thanks for the review, and the kind words. Can't say I am a fan of the Sponge, it has to be said... I think I get what you are talking about...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Imperial Policy**

* * *

Castella-Ra paced along the halls of Golgorath. She kept her claws tightly sheathed as she moved along the dusty red floor of the termite mounds, preferring to move quietly when possible, a hallmark of her cubhood, no doubt. She was beginning to grow accustomed to the wasteland of the Outlands now, after several days within them. The Heat was not nearly as intense as some parts of the Imperium whilst there were termite mounds over her head, and the shade made a decent den. Apparently, there had used to be a problem with termites themselves in the area, but Marsade had purged the area with sorcery and flame so that now, dust and sand were all that clinged to her fur. A Wilddog passed in front of her, then shrank away when he saw her approach. Curious, she held out a paw.

"**_You. Stop a moment. Whoa are you?"_** She asked the dog. The mammal flinched, but turned around and faced her.

"My name is Harrin, my lady."

"**_You are one of the wilddogs' commanders, aren't you?"_** She asked him. Harrin nodded.

"Third-Pack Leader, under Lord Mortread, formerly under Lord Rish'ut, formerly under Lady Sekmet." He said. Castella's mouth twitched.

"**_You've outlived two Shai'tan then… Congratulations. You must be a mighty warrior, or skilled tactician, Harrin."_**

"Forgive me, my lady, but I am neither. I seem to have the fortune to be in the right place, at the right time, is all…" He said. Castella nodded.

"**_As do I, Commander Harrin, as do I. What are you doing at the moment?"_** She asked him. The dog hesitated.

"I am seeking several of my packmates. They didn't report for duty this morning. Some confusion over the allocation of patrols, I suspect…" He held her gaze for a moment. "They appear to have made a mistake, my lady, but I have always known them to be hardworking and loyal soldiers…" he said. Castella started, realizing that Harrin expected her to be angry at his soldier's incompetence. And true, had she been Rish'ut or Amun, or even Asamode, she might have. Mortread, she knew, would have investigated the reasons for their absence personally, and weighed it against their previous service. And only then, pronounced judgement. Was it mere mercy? Or some deeper strategic motivation? She never knew, and for herself, she had never asked. It was merely a part of his character.

"**_Far be it for me, to interfere with Mortread's troops, Harrin. Go on your way." _**She told him. The dog nodded, gratefully, and left her presence. She watched him go, and then turned away. It was becoming more obvious of late, that the majority of the dogs and jackals suffered when on mundane duties for too long. They were fine trackers and fighters, but guard duty, border patrols and other such work seemed to chaff them to the point that they became useless. Asamode's suggested solution had been to execute every dog which lapse. Mortread's had been to organize more hunts.

It seemed that they had an endless supply of targets. The Slaves, the lionesses, the Asiatics Asamode had reported, and Prince Kiava, were all missing. The trouble was, as far as they knew, they were all gathered in the same place. Although that gave them some small advantage, it also made finding them a more fruitless endeavour.

Finishing her journey, she arrived at her destination. The tallest of the Towers of Golgorath. She climbed through the narrow entrance way, and found herself on the delicate walkway around the edges of the highest Spire. The Height was dizzying. Far below, she could see Jackals, Wilddogs, and others creatures around the base of Spire. They looked, like termites to her here. Moving around below her, beneath her. The wind was far more powerful her, and a gust jarred her back to earth. Settling her feet, she moved along, and saw, (true to form: directly at the very edge of the tower) her father. The Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra, stood there surveying his dominion with dark eyes. She cleared her throat, but if he was surprised by her presence, he didn't flinch. Without turning around, he inclined his head.

"**_Daughter… Why have you come here?"_**

"**_You haven't been inclined to speak with me."_** She told him. Still he didn't turn around. **_"Have I done something wrong?"_** She asked. He laughed.

"**_If you, had be sure, we would have spoken far sooner."_** He said. She relaxed, slightly.

"**_So why the silence?"_** She asked.

"**_I have been diverted of late, by other matters."_** He said, calmly. She nodded in understanding.

"**_You mean the Lions? Its unsurprising. When we invade another's territory, they are bound to resist…"_**

"**_It is there persistence, rather than their resistance which diverts my attention, Castella… And their resourcefulness. To attack here? In Golgorath, seems to begger belief… And it bothers me that their Prince survived."_**

"**_What use is a cub, to them?" _**She asked him.

"**_The cub is a symbol, around who they could gather allies… Without him, they are merely rebels, traitors and insurgents. With him, they are freedom fighters, warriors of the light."_**He said with distaste.

"**_They can be crushed, soon enough, if necessary. Or they can dwindle to nothingness. All of the continents resisted, at frst. Eventually, they all recalled that peace, was preferable to war, no matter who their rulers where. Many came to thank their new rulers, for the law and order imposed upon their lives... When I departed Oceanica, I was begged not to leave by its regents... They wished me to stay, and continue my rule there..."_**

"**_I've heard it said that you were a popular ruler, there?"_** Her father asked her. She smiled.

"**_With most of the enemy fighters captured or killed, all that was left was to organise the survivors... Several of them noticed a significant improvement to their lives... Apparently, their rulers were not particularly fond of justice there... A creatures place was dicated by their position in the food chain... A law was in place, that no creature could commit a crime against a creature who fed on it. There was no such thing as murder, even among allies, if one could best then swallow a mouthful of flesh from their victim... Despicable."_**

"**_I am curious... How did you resolve that custom_**?" Her father asked. She smiled.

"**_I put a mosquito in charge for a month. After anarchy had set in for several weeks, I de posed the unfortunate insect, and modified the law... They were more than happy to comply."_**

"**_Ingenius... But I am afraid a similar trick will not work here... The Pridelands will prove much harder to conquer... And they must be mine, Castella, they _****must****_."_** He said. Castella watched him for a moment, then finally decided to ask him something.

"**_Why do these lands mean so much to you, father?"_**

"**_These lands... Are our home."_** he said. Castella cocked her head.

"**_You mean before the Imperium?_**" She asked. He nodded.

"**_Tell me... How much do you really know of our history? I focused your education on practical things for a purpose, and I may have neglected parts of it..."_**

"**_I know enough..."_** She told him. He smirked.

"**_Ah... So you know of how we ended up in Asiatica? A great many years ago, generations and generations ago... We lived here... In Africa... Alongside the Lions and the Cheetahs, and the Leopards, and the other felines... There was a delicate union among the clans, as you know... But we were never quite trusted by the other races. We are honest with ourselves, and others. What we wanted we took, what we desired, we fought for, and what we couldn't defend, we lost. We didn't seek to pervert nature around to suit us... We swam in the current of life, not trying to warp it into something we were not... So when the time came to select a leader, the others were all terrified of us... and decided that we were untrustworthy... Reckless... That we would abuse our power... In short, they were frightened of us – and rather than seek to make themselves stronger, they worked to shackle us... to bind us to their way of thinking... After countless generations... it was Shein-Su who decided: "No More." He rose up against the tyrants, and gatherer a clan, a pride, a leap, whatever you want to call it... Shein's Hundred, by some, though in truth it was slightly more... The Tiger's who rose up. The Original Shai'tan."_** He told her. Castella nodded. She knew the story – but knew no one who could tell it like her father… to make the listener feel every heartbeat, to think one was actually there… **_"They fought their way across Africa, to the Throne, where he intended to defeat the High-King himself, and begin a new reign… There was a great battle here…"_**

"**_Here? In the Outlands?"_**

"**_Here… and in the Shadowlands… and in the Pridelands… though they were all considered one territory, at the time. But we were defeated…"_**

"**_By the Lion-Kings?"_**

"**_No! The Original Shai'tan would have crushed them, had they managed to make it to Crown Rock. They were halted, before they ever reached the Throne. We were defeated, by the Shaman… That day… The sky blazed with white light, and the world turned to ash! Over a hundred souls killed in a second by a light brighter than the sun… a blast that seared the air and poisoned the ground… His task was never accomplished… That is why we are dedicated to this quest, Castella… We are finishing what Shein-Su Started… What he started the day he cast aside his old name and became Emperor Shan-Al-Kir! And this time… The Shaman are powerless… because we have one of our own…"_**

"**_You make it sound like you want to deal with lions as quickly as possible."_** She suggested. The Emperor nodded.

"**_Undoubtedly. The Question is how to do it… They are resourceful, and organized. Weak, yes, but also fluid, like liquid. Water doesn't need to be strong in order to resist being pulverized… It merely has to be itself…"_**

"**_Simply send one of you trusted servants, give them a battalion of fighters, and have them seek out and kill the dissenters."_** She suggested. The Emperor arched an eyebrow.

"**_What strategic genius. Unfortunately, I have attempted this twice, with two of the strongest amoung us. Both of them failed. One I could believe was incompetence, but two is a pattern, and I will not risk a third… There is no need to repeat past mistakes."_** He said. Castella sat down, thoughtfully.

"**_Sekmet was a fool. An arrogant, feebleminded fool who couldn't keep in check her own emotions. She was ruled by her anger and fear and hatred and she lost her fights because of that."_** Castella said. Ben-Kai-Ra growled.

"**_Be careful how you speak of the Fallen, daughter. She was a Shai'tan. One of us. Her death must be avenged, not mocked." _**He warned her. Castella took a step back.

"**_My apologies. But it must be said that she didn't suit the task she was set. And Rish'ut was wounded, and had a personal grievance against half of the parties involved. He never would have stood a chance."_** She told him. The emperor growled softly.

"**_Why do you list their faults? Are you going somewhere with this_**?" he asked her.

"**_I merely think you are too swift to dismiss the simplest option, when it has yet to have been used to full effect."_** She told him. The Emperor laughed.

"**_Very bold, to call me hasty. What then is your suggestion? Don't tell me you want to lead them in this hunt? I thought we got over that in your adolescent years…" _**He said. Castella smiled. She had his interest now.

"**_Not I, father. Mortread."_**

"**_Mortread? He has already proven his incompetence…"_**

"**_One could make the argument that he was held back by inferior superiors." She said. Then catching her father's frown, she clarified. "Rish'ut, father. Rish'ut."_** She said. The Emperor paused, thoughtful.

"**_It could be construed to be lapse in Rish'ut's judgement, true. But what makes you think he would fare any better than his predecessors?"_**

"**_Father, please. Whilst Mortread doesn't share Sekmet's brute strength, he is a tactical genius, as well you know. He is also a skilled fighter, and he commands the respect and obedience of his underlings through more than threats of summarily execution, so they are known to keep their nerve under pressure. He is also possibly the finest tracker among the Shai'tan – even your own skills are second in that regard. He is perfect for this mission. Honestly father, I don't know why you haven't already –"_**

"**_Enough."_** He said, and she fell silent. She turned to her now for the first time, and she took a small step back out of pure habit as his fiery gaze fell upon her. The Emperor stared at her, his immense size and silhouette casting a shadow around him that dwarfed her own.

"**_Father..."_**

"**_Be silent."_** He told her, and she froze.**_ "You think Mortread is the most suitable for this task? Let me tell you why, Castella. It is because he is unreliable and has already failed once in retrieving the slaves as they departed the tower. He had his chance in this mission, when he was right atop of them and when had every solider we possess in his paw. He failed then. And I have seen nothing to convince me that now would be any different. Why waste energy and effort on a flawed tool?" _**He asked her. Castella swallowed, wondering if she dared go this far.

"**_How else can he prove himself reliable again? And let it be known, whilst he did fail in his task to recapture the cubs, he did defeat Khunm! A River Lord, of the Great River. A Scion of Sobek the Black, if I am not mistaken… A River Lord which Rish'ut apparently had no idea was even there, right under his very nose… Where it not for that oversight, there is every possibility he would have succeeded. Yet, far from being deterred by this, he defeated the reptile, and killed it. He even won a scar on his stomach, on the right for his troubles. Those are not the actions of a flawed tool, father… I urge you not to let your Pride allow you to make a more costly decision."_** She said, choosing her words carefully.

The Emperor stared at her, then laughed, his voice booming around Golgorath.

"**_Ah… Castella-Ra… If only the rest of my court had the courage to argue with me… If only you had been born a male – What an Emperor you would have made… What a Shai'tan." Chuckling, though his daughter flushed, he waved a paw. "Very well, daughter. You've convinced me. I shall inform Mortread of my… of our decision, at dawn tomorrow. Well done."_** As she turned to leave, he paused though.

"**_One thing, Castella… One question. How did you know Mortread has a Scar on his belly? It's not very visible…"_** He said. Castella didn't hesitate an inch.

"**_I spoke with one of his commanders. Harrin his name was. Commendable fellow – worth keeping an eye on."_** She said without flinching, all the while keeping her face straight, and making eye contact. There was no bead of sweat, not faint twitch. She lied as easily as breathing. Her father nodded.

"**_Of course… Getting to know the troops."_**

"**_Precisely."_** She lied. She turned away, and not another word was said between them. She was her father's daughter, after all.

* * *

**AN:**

**So, that was our first look at ****Castella-Ra. And a look at the villains motives. What did you think of her? She is a skilled ruler and administrator, and her role appear to be to calm down territories after they are conquered. She is a master of diplomacy, manipulation, and lying, as you can see, even against her own father. She's engineered a way for her lover to prove himself again…**

**We also said hello to Harrin for a bit there... He's back in action now, and we might be seeing more of him, now we have a viewpoint character in the Imperial camp.**

**Just setting the stage in this scene here, building up on some things for later on. ****Things should really kick off in the next chapter, when we return to Kiava and his mammoth of a task in the elephant graveyard (See what I did there?) and the battle taking place there…**

**Haradion**


	4. Chapter 3 - Bones, Blood and Betrayal

**"Hello Everyone. Sorry for the delay getting back to you all. Its been a struggle, lots of other things going on, I've been extremely busy. Eventually however, things have calmed down, and I managed to knuckle down and finish this chapter for you. I have also had to find a substitute for Microsoft Word, to use as my word processor. I was using GoogleDocs, but have started to use "Open Office" instead, which is an open source Office package. I believe its also completely code able, if you can program, and can add your own stuff. Would love a live Wordcount, but hey.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Bones, Blood and Betrayal**

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"Kiava! Look out!" Zuri shouted, as a wilddog dived towards Kiava. The Young cub twisted instantly and unsheathed his claws in a fluid motion, which ended with the Dog's loud shouts of pain. It growled for a moment, and leapt again, but Kiava sidestepped the blow, and then clawed upwards, carving into the canine's flesh and latching to his lower breast. A sharp bite forward later, and the Dog collapsed to the ground, its precious life blood flowing from a grievous wound to the throat. Kiava spat out the blood and growled softly. Around him, the other Hyenas were beginning to recover from their surprise, and the snarling and yapping of the Hyenas clashing with the dogs echoed around the under carven, the stone walls reverberating with the yells and cries of battle, the shrieks of pain and war-cries. A while ago, Kiava would have been terrified, but now, now he was confident and quick to act, taught and ready for battle. He roared loudly, and leapt towards Zuri.

The lioness was in a battle of her own, holding off not one but two opponents at the same time, who snapped and bit forwards, alternating. She swiped at one and moved to the other before it even began retreating, and Kiava was stuck again at how quickly she adapted to different situation. They had not even begun learning to handle multiple foes with their lessons with Sarafina, but already she was past that point. Arriving to assist, he leapt atop one who had his back to him, and clawed into his back. With the one distracted, Zuri was able to focus her attentions on her remaining enemy. She attacked quickly, and decisively. Caught off guard, her opponent struggled briefly, and then fell to a fury of blows and slices. The scent of blood filled the air, as the he chaos began to subside, and rather than the intermingled duels and conflicts, allies began to form lines, rows together to protect flanks. Within minutes, they would be fully formed lines of battle, and they would be drawn into a protracted battle, rather than a swift skirmish. Roaring defiantly, Kiava mounted another pile of half-eaten bones that seemed to litter Carroscir.

"Don't let them close ranks! Asante, Zuri! With me!" And without checking to see if he was followed (and equally resisting the childish temptation to scream 'charge!' at the top of his lungs) he dived straight into the ranks of the oncoming wilddogs, piercing their lines, and surrounding himself with enemies. It would prevent them from banding together, keeping them isolated and alone in the face of an enemy. It would also likely get him killed. With a yell, he attacked another wilddog, who's expression of bitter fury was replaced by one of incredulity and surprise as he faced an attack from the side from an unlikely opponent.

It was a strange thing... For many years of his life, Kiava he been chased, hunted, forced into exile almost, by the legions of wilddogs and others commanded by the Shai'tan. Now, he felt as though he were the one in command, as though he were the one dictating his own destiny. It felt good, even though he knew it was reckless, to charge headlong into the army of dogs who wanted him dead.

Asante watched in cold horror and dread as more and more dogs poured into her parents throne room. How had they made their way through the labyrinth fast enough to evade detection? They would have needed to overwhelm all of the dozen guards throughout the twisted pathways – which would have meant making it all the way through without one wrong turn. The odds of coming across such a route, by pure chance were astronomical! Then a cold sickness hit her – as if she had been punched in the stomach. They must have been followed back through the labyrinth, then informed the Shai'tan. The Shai'tan had tried such a trick before, but they had always taken precautions against being traced by making false turns, always cutting off tails before they were followed to anywhere important... But the last time they had dared ventured outside, when she had unleashed her powers against Kiava, she had been so exhausted... they had dragged the captured animals back to the cells with all their haste, and had neglected to take the same paths back... Could it be possible that they had unwittingly lead them all the way back to their home? The realisation struck her so cold, it was only as Kiava screamed "Asante! With me!" That she was snapped to her sense. She cursed. What in the world was the cub doing? As she watched he dived into the attacking dogs.

"You're mad!" She gasped in horror. Then cursing again, she followed him. If she didn't they would be killed in seconds.

The three of them fought back to back as the endless hordes of dogs moved into the room.

"There are too many of them!" Zuri shouted over the din. Kiava ground his teeth. She was right. There were too many of them to count. The Hyenas numbered in their dozens, but cut off and surrounded in the throne room, they were going to be overran soon enough. Kiava struck out at another wilddog, but the dog was prepared and darted away, before returning strike with a bite that narrowly missed Kiava by an inch. Asante growled.

"Shadowpups! Form up! Get together and stay together - guard the Matriarch!" But Shenzi did appear to need protecting. The old Hyena had risen to her feet, as was as much a part of the battle as her mate and daughter, striking left and right out at the oncoming Wilddogs.

"We can't stay here! We'll be surrounded and killed if we do. Keep moving – we need to push out of the Throne Room!" Banzai shouted over the chaos. The Hyenas responded with such ferocity and such enthusiasm, that the wilddogs were briefly pushed back and away from the fighters. Kiava took the opportunity to slice into another wilddogs flank, before withdrawing alongside the matriarch. The fighting continued and Kiava slashed his way through the wilddogs. Blood sprayed and filled the air once more... The battle began to slow now, becoming much more practised – the blood-lust and element of surprise had been expended and now the lines were coming together. Taking a moment, he looked at where the lines moved and seethed, and suddenly, he could _see _the two groups of Hyenas and Wilddogs were not a collection of lives, they seemed to move as single organisms, and for a moment he could see the parties for what they were... The Hyenas and The Wilddogs, fighting as two evenly matched creatures would... Shocked for a moment at his own insight, he blinked and forced himself to concentrate, taking advantage of the pause in the fighting to speak to the Matriarch.

"Where is the most secure part of Carrocscirr?" He asked her. Shenzi hesitated.

"The north dungeons have only one entrance from above, and have a number of tunnels that come out on the northern side of Carrocscirr. If the Dog's are following your scent through the labyrinth, they are coming from the southern side, it should be secure." She told him, while Banzai and Zuri defended the leaders, keeping them at bay.

"Mother, we can't abandon Carrocscirr!" Asante protested. Ignoring her, Kiava stared at Shenzi in shock.

"The _north_ dungeons? Is that where my friends are?" Kiava asked, sounding shocked. Asante nodded, and Zuri gasped.

"We have to go there than, or they'll all be slaughtered."

"We have Hyenas down there too, the lion cub is right! We need to leave here and reinforce the northern caverns... We can abandon the tower itself if we need to, and lurk within the tunnels... They open out into the ash plains as well, if we are forced to retreat."

"Retreat form Carrocscirr? We can't abandon the Ivory Tower!" Asante said, sounding frustrated.

"Carrocscirr may have fallen already." Banzai told her briskly. Kiava nodded in agreement.

"If we're going to survive this, we need to unite with the other Hyenas throughout Carrocscirr, and we can't afford to stay trapped here!" He warned her. Asante held his gaze for a moment.

"I am not losing my home for you!" Asante said, sounding angry.

"You're home is already lost, its as gone as Pride Rock! Don't lose your life as well!" He told her sharply. Then, without waiting for a response, drew himself up, and spoke to Bhagari, who was starting nearby.

"How many Hyenas do we have left?" he asked sharply.

"Not many... But there was barley a pack in the throne room – we don't stand on ceremony in Carocscirr..."

"So you have enough to break through the wilddog lines until then?" He asked. Bhagari nodded.

"Get past them? Perhaps... Beat them though... It seems unlikely." He said. Kiava nodded.

"We don't need to. We need to fall back and regroup. The commotion will attract the rest of the Hyenas... We need to be outside and organised when that happens, not trapped in here... Shenzi..."

"Even if we escape, we'll be slaughtered out there... Without the carverns to protect us and the labyrinth to waylay the enemy, we won't stand a chance against the Shai'tan. Amun will bring the full force of his dogs down upon us and we'll be destroyed as thoroughly as the Lion kings were!"

"The Lion Kings aren't dead. Not by a long shot." Zuri interrupted. Shenzi looked from her to Kiava, looking shocked and frustrated and angry and a dozen other emotions that Kiava recognised. Were it not for the desperate battle around them, he would have felt sympathy for the matriarch. Instead, he growled.

"I need you to trust me." He said.

Amun moved through the maze of passages and walkways. At last his spies had found a way to move through Carroscirr. The Hyenas scent was everywhere, but there was a new taste to it... a familiar scent of... something... it was familiar, but yet not quite what he was used to. He would figure it out at his measure shortly. Ahead of him, the first wave of wilddogs were moving through the tower butchering and killing as they did. Surprised and unaware, many of the Hyenas were asleep, eating, or lying on the ground surrounded by their young ones. It made them easier to kill. The massacre was total. Occasionally, one of the Hyenas would make a desperate leap at him. He simply move sharply to one side and struck out with a single paw. His claws would penetrate flesh and muscle, and slash away the unfortunate victim's life in a single vicious swipe. Then he would continue his march.

The Hyenas were, in many ways, like their cousins, the wilddogs... Or perhaps, closer to the jackals. The canines fought well as a group, but were easily frightened and lacked the strength to do any real damage when isolated... They were pack creatures, and together their threat increased exponentially. He had heard of the creature felling mighty kings together when they had the opportunity, and inclination to combine their efforts and wills to the task... He had seen the affects their fighting had had on his troops...

Which was of course, why he had taken the smarter plan and attacked them when they thought that they were safe. It had, like all of his plans, succeeded wonderfully. Amun moved with the comfortable ease of a natural predator – a natural killer. The tunnels twisted and moved as he paced. Eventually, he found he had caught up with the remaining wilddogs, and sniffed.

"_**What is the hold up?" **_He asked the lead wilddog in charge. The Dog's head jerked sharply at hearing his master's voice, before nodding.

"We've reached the throne room easy enough, but the passageway is only three dogs wide. The area is under attack."

"_**You've separated your forces?"**_

_** "**_We sent the greater part of our troops throughout the tower to make the most of our surprise attack... The rest are here, trying to break their lines... we believe their rulers are inside and didn't want to waste the opportunity." The dog explained. Amun thought for a moment, before giving a smile.

"_**You've done well my friend. The Imperium needs more competent commanders such as yourself... Good work." **_He said. Then he bellowed a roar. "_**Attack them! Wipe them out!" **_He howled. Invigorated, the wilddogs surged forward and struck at the opening again. Several charged through only to be cut down, and their companions continued the charge over their corpses. Suddenly however, there was a change in the flow of the battle. A faint lull, and then an explosion of energy. The Wilddogs were thrown backwards as an almighty blast of air ripped through the tower, sending the dogs flying. Then, from out of the throne room, the Hyenas surged forwards, a collective wave of fur and tooth. They swarmed over the Wilddogs like army ants, and then made their escape, travelling not towards the entrance where the rest of the dogs lay in waiting, but deeper down into more of the tunnels. Amun swore. Entrapped, they were easy to take down, but he was loath to allow them to start another guerrilla war on his troops by hiding in the tunnels. Before he could issue the order to cut them off, they had passed him, and another surge of wind struck him. He ground his claws into the ground fighting the pull of the air, and braced the howling winds. They only lasted a few seconds.

His mind twisted at the possibilities. And then he saw her. _Asante _his spies called her... The leader of several of the Hyena's most vicious animals and the daughter of the their leaders. The hyena ran ahead, and for a moment, her eyes – black like all of the hyenas, seem to light up with a blinding white light and the spell of mint leaves filled the air as a turbulent blast of wind struck for a third time. Amun was no expert on the shamanistic mysteries, but he was a devious thinker, and he had spent more than enough time with Marsade to regognize a shaman when he saw one. He cursed, and withdrew silently. The hyena looked exhausted... and after only three generic bursts of wind? Perhaps she was not as powerful as Marsade? He was not willing to gamble however, and quietley, he withdrew from the battle, nodding to the wilddog's commander as he did so.

_**"Get after them... But beware the leader..." **_He warned him. The dog nodded. Suddenly, Amun's attention was diverted, but a sudden spark of colour amidst the dark grey and blacks of the Hyenas and dogs coats. A jet of light in the tower made of ash and dust and ivory and bone. Two specks of gold. He was so taken aback by the sudden appearance of the two lion cubs, he was unable to say a word and unable to issue any commands once again. The sight of them were unmistakeable. They were lion cubs. And what were the odds that these lion cubs were just rouges, passing through the shadowlands, out for a leisure stroll past river lord invested waters, swamplands, and into the ashy plains of Carroscirr, ignoring seismic instability and thermal emissions through the war-torn and ravaged wasteland that made up the Hyenas's borders? The odds were _small; _it had to be said.

He smiled softly. The victory over the Pridelands would be in his paws... And after Sekmets and Rish'uts persistent failures, he had no doubt that he would be rewarded for it.

"Asante, that was fantastic!" Kiava told her as they ran. Shenzi smiled at the compliment.

"You see, Lion King? Imagine if we had out daughter on our side during Scar's reign! None of the catastrophe would have happened... She could have killed _Sobek _for a start, and saved the land from drought!" She said proudly.

"Lets just focus on saving ourselves _now _shall we?" Banzai suggested. The grisseled male move throughout the passageway without a hint of hesitation, knowing precisly where he was goinging. He lead the pack of Hyenas and lion cubs out of the throne room and they soon lost the persuing wilddogs. The sounds behind them faded, but the sounds of battle ahead only increased. Shenzi cursed.

"They've sent troops ahead of us... we won't have time to rest! Asante, so you have any energy left?" She asked her daughter. The hyena nodded.

"To fight, yes, but not to use those gifts again... Whatever they are, they take a hell out of me..." She panted. Kiava blinked in surprise. She didn't even know what they were herself? There was no time to argue further, as soon enough they crashed through the tunels which opened out into a deeper cavernous space.

_"Come on ya filthy muts! Just try it! Just try it!"_ A voice shouted over the din. It was Ookai. He was wielding an elephant tusk like a polearm. Kiava had seen Rafiki fight with his staff, and Ookai fought nothing like that. He was brutal and untrained and did not waste his time with elegant twirls or spins. He simply clubbed any dog who got close in the face. His eyes lit up when Kiava entered the room, followed by Asante her mother.

"Ah! The lion, the witch and the matriarch! Splendid. Perhaps someone can explain to me what the hell is going on?" He shouted. Kiava leapt over the heads of the wilddogs and struck out. Suddenly surrounded the Hyenas quickly made short work of the wilddogs. Kiava spat out blood and nodded.

"Amun is here... I think I saw back there for a moment. He's launched an attack on the tower."

"Its makes sense. You scent is different to any of the canines, he'd easily pick it out against the smell of the Hyenas and would navigate the path with ease..." Buzz said. He held a blood soaked javelin in his hands, covered in blood up to his elbows. He shuddered.

"I know I said I hate hyenas but I am starting to _despise _wilddogs – wait, did you say Amun was here?!" he said in panic. The Hyenas began to mutter among themselves, sounding disheartened.

"Quiet!" Kiava shouted, turning back to Ookai. Zuri cut the throat of a Wilddog who was writhing on the floor, before licking away the blood and padding next to Kiava. "Zuri – take two Hyenas and get down that tunnel. If anything comes down it, get your arse back here _don't _try to engage them." She nodded and disappeared down the tunnel. "Where is Bruce?" He asked, feeling more comfortable now he had a better control of the situation.

"Right here..." the Gorilla said, trying not to look at the gore around him. Ookai patted his friend on the shoulder.

"You did great work, old fella." He said. Bruce still slumped.

"He leapt at me... So I hit him... he snapped..." He said, shaking. Kiava winced, looking at the gentle giant.

"Never mind that Bruce... I am just glad you are safe." He looked around. "Are these all the Hyenas we have left?" He asked. An older Hyena, one who had been leading the Hyenas in the cavernous space when they arrived made several yapping sounds. Banzai looked at him slowly and nodded.

"Well done Ed... Ed says that they sent as many of the Hyenas out of the tunnels ahead of them and then tried to hold off the dogs that came down the hallway you just came through. A good portion of the fighters went to protect the pups and the non-fighters who went first. He thought that it would be better to try to hold them off as long as possible while they evacuated." He said. Ed yelped some more, and Banzai smiled. "He's also very glad to see we're still alive." He said. Kiava only blinked. Then he nodded.

"Does he..."

"He don't talk much." Banzai said – as if that cleared everything up.

"So anyone who hasn't made it out of the tower already is dead, or is about to die any moment, with no chance of rescue." Shenzi said. She sighed but Banzai nodded.

"If we want to live, we need to get out of here _now_ and join with the other survivors. We should be able to trace them down the same tunnel." Buzz said. Then he cocked his head. "Did I miss something? When did we start fighting _with _the Hyenas?" He asked. Shenzi narrowed her eyes.

"Have we met before?" She asked. Buzz snorted.

"Uh, Shouldn't think so."

"You seem familiar..."

"Probably something you ate." He said. Kiava grinned.

"Ouch. He's got you there." Their discussion was interrupted by loud shouting, and Zuri came darting back down the corridor.

"They are coming – and Amun is leading them!" She said.

"Bane's _blood... Already?!_" Shenzi cursed. "Tell me you have another plan..." She said turning to Kiava. The not-so-young cub look frightened for a moment, but then determined.

"Bruce! Bring down the tunnel!" He shouted. Bruce's eyes widened, and Ookai looked at Kiava in panic,

"Are you mad?! Its massive!"

But even as he spoke, Bruce, Kiava, Zuri, and the hyenas clawed into the stone rockwork with all of their strength. And slowly, the sides of the tunnel began to crumble away. The ceiling began to creak ominously, and more dirt and dust began to fall away. Kiava grinned as the rocks bean to shift and moan.

"Now! Everybody out!" He shouted, and they ran. They ran as hard as they could. The familiar pressure of the chase burning behind Kiava's eyes. The fear, the scent of blood and death. But he was used to the fear now. Used to the danger and the chase. Used to seeing the world as prey did. Used to it, and alive in it. Every day since he could remember he recalled the same fear, and now it wasn't as frightening as he had been. Now, it gave him strength. The Hyenas, the apes, the lion cubs, and the meerkat ran out of that tunnel, even as carrocscirr began to howl in protest. Shenzi grinned. They couldn't have brought down the whole of the Ivory Tower – such as task would have been impossible – but they had wrote such damage upon the tunnel that that passageway would very soon crumble into nothingness... She giggled. Well played Kiava. She risked a look behind her, and saw, sure neough, that rocks and stones were beginning to fall away. The tunnel was beginning to collapse. Laughing, the Hyenas made their way into the Shadowlands, across the dusty, acrid plains of ash... and to relative saftley.

Several hours later, Shenzi called a halt, and the exhausted pack of Hyenas slowed. She looked aorund, and made a swift headcount. They had no way of knowing how many others had escaped before they collapsed the tunnel – but even so, more had escaped then would have otherwise. She sighed. Too many had not.

Kiava pulled to halt, and flopped to the ground. The young cub had kept up just as well, but by now must have been exhausted. To her surprise however, Kiava stood up, dragged himself to his feet, and move around, checking first to his friends, and then to several of the nearby Hyenas. Warily she approached him.

"That was an impressive thing you did..." She told him softly. Kiava shrugged.

"It wasn't. There should have be another way... I killed any Hyena that was still inside the tower..." He said, frustrated.

"There were dead already, Kiava... You saved this many – and goodness knows how many others by delaying them in the throne room for as long as you did."

"I didn't do anything unique... Nothing no one else could have thought of." Shenzi laughed.

"You'll find, Kiava, that much of being a leader, consists not of having good ideas, but of having them under pressure, when everyone else is in mindless panic..." She pointed out. Kiava gave a small smile.

"I guess so..." he said.

"We need to regroup with the other Hyenas... If any escaped, they'll have fled to _Skeleton Canyon... _To the east. The Valley is steep on both sides, so there is only one defensive line... Its defend able for days with enough of us." She said. Kiava blinked. Perfect. The gears in his mind were already spinning, thinking of the possibilities.

"Good. After a short rest, you can lead us there. We did some serious damage... to them."

"I'll appreciate your company on the way there, Kiava... But after that, you should be on your way. This isn't your fight..." Shenzi began. Kiava laughed.

"Oh, don't even try it. I am depending on you and yours to help me reclaim the Pridelands, Shenzi... I would be a poor ally if I abandoned you now..." He said. Shenzi coughed.

"Kiava... this changes nothing. I told you – the Hyenas would never trust the word of another Lion King..."

"Oh, don't worry. I don't expect them to yet... I'll just follow through on my end of the deal..."

"Umm..."

"The conditions of our allience, you said earlier... _To Break the Siege... To defeat an Army of Jackals... And to Kill Amun._" He said. Shenzi gaped. When she had said that, she had been intending to illustrate the impossibility of it... but now, Kiava had a familiar determined look in his eye. A look had seen before... A look she had seen on the face of King Scar... as he had plotted and schemed. And now, she could feel that Kiava had also discovered a rare gift. He was beginning to plan... Kiava broke the spell suddenly, when his serious face turned into a wide grin.

"Don't worry. I have a few more ideas..."

Zuri groaned.

"You can't possibly actually have plan..."

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves... I said 'idea'."

"Whatever you say..." She muttered.

"What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

_Hours later..._

* * *

Amun paced through the wreckage of the tunnel angrily. They had been so close! They had been right there! Staring him the face.. but they had escaped yet again. The Lion Prince, and the rulers of the Ivory tower, along with half of the Fighting Hyenas, and the majority of the civilians (Though – considering Hyenas – most were actually capable fighters), it had taken them hours to figure out another passageway through the maze of the tunnels, and by that time, the daylight was fading, and the Hyenas and their allies were long gone. Amun could have roared in anger. As it happened, he simply allowed himself an indulgent wipe at a nearby rock, sending it cartwheeling into the air, spinning, and crashing into the dirt with a loud clatter. To his surprise, the stone struck something, and that something gave a yelp.

Instantly, honed instincts of vicious murder kicked in, and he leapt forwards, bring terrible claws to bear against the unseen life form.

"Wait!" The voice said urgently. Amun halted himself just in time. A shriek of terror would have been expect, begging for ones life was also a frequent occurrence for other animals. A short reprieve was not the status quo. It signified that the voice had expected to see him – and had not been surprised by the attack, merely panicked. That alone delayed him long enough to take a second look at his prey.

It was a Hyenas. A young one, clearly female.

_**"You?"** _He asked in confusion.

"Amun..." Asante said. Her eyes flashed white and Amun was shifted from Asante by a sudden gust of wind. Strong though it was, only that he not been braced for the blast meant that he was shifted from his feet. Starteled, he fell back on the age old response, snarling and preparing to growl.

_**"You were either very brave or very stupid to return here... Now you can die here as well..."**_ He said, and swung at her, ready to swipe at Asante's face.

"Stop!" She shouted. She seemed nervous, and her eyes had a haunted look to them, almost guilty. "I didn't return here to die... I came here to live!" She said desperately. Amun paused. Then a cruel smile began to form on his lips.

_**"Live... Ah... You came to bargain for your life?"** _He asked softly. Asante shifted.

"Please... I am the daughter of Shenzi... We are no strangers to unlikely alliances in the face of a common foe. I... Am prepared to make a deal with you Amun... A deal to bring peace and stability back to the Pridelands. A deal that will end resistance to your rule... Is that not something we can both agree on? Your alliance with the Serpents shows that you-"

**_"Enough."_ **Amun said sharply. And Amun ceased speaking immediately. He looked around. The carven was deserted, but other wilddogs were only a roar away. Smiling now, Amun turned to Asante.

**_"What did you have in mind? Hmm? You expect me to believe that you will surrender after all of... this?"_**

"I... _Shai'tan_, the Hyenas are not united on this matter... But that is what rulers _do_ they make the tough decisions that underlings can't make... I... I will not see anymore of my people be killed for a lose cause. I am willing to surrender to you... On a few conditions..." She said. Amun laughed.

"_**Bargaining already? Hmm? Well, I have the authority to make certain agreements, if I chose, but what makes you think for a moment that you are in a position to negotiate? Why shouldn't I just kill you now? Or hold you captive against you parent's behaviour? Or demand unconditional surrender? You really need to think these things through more Asante, daughter of Shenzi..."**_ He said, his voice becoming a low and dangerous hiss. Asante's eyes widened, and she took a step back looking genuinely frightened. Then she gritted her teeth.

"Watching my mother abandon Carrocscirr after it was lost... We can't live against that power, it will just keep coming... We will have to adapt... And I think that we can come to an agreement... Over something we have that you want. _Someone_." She said, leaving the name unspoken. Amun hesitated. True. After a moment he nodded his head, and she continued.

"I want a _guarantee_ that there will be no repercussions for the Hyenas who survived. If we surrender, we live. We start a new leaf, as servants of the Shai'tan. We leave this blood behind us."

_**"Easily granted..."**_

"I want you to leave the Shadowlands under their own rule. We are not bound to Rish'ut's murders at Golgorath, we aren't expected to fight for our meat. Any Hyenas you recurit to fight for you will readily patrol these borders, and the borders in the Pridelands, but not the Outlands, not the Swamplands, or the desert borders. We won't become grunts for you to throw away. And we'll chose our own governors... They'll be loyal to you, but no Shai'tan gets moved into Carrocscirr, no giant purple serpent or anything. We'll handle our own hierarchy, and we won't be an issue for you..."

**_"You desire self rule? Hmm... Well, I can grant that for now... but if the Emperor disagrees, I won't be bound by that promise..."_ **He warned him. Asante hesitated then nodded.

"Fair enough."

_**"Anything else?"** _Amun asked, starting to feel a laugh rising in his belly. This was too easy.

"If... If it turns out that my parents side with the Lion King... They are still respected and powerful.. Not everyone will follow me. If they decide to stand against me in this matter... if my own parents... I... I'll... I'll require...-"

**_"You'd want help overthrowing your mother and father?"_ **Amun asked. Asante's stunned expression said it all. "**_With pleasure... Was there anything else?_**" The great Tiger asked. Asante shook her head.

"No. Do we have an agreement?" She asked. Amun laughed now, and it echoed throughout Carrocscirr.

**_"Yes... Yes we do. Now Asante... tell me... Where can I find the Lion King Kiava? Lead me and my forces to him... and you shall be Queen of the Shadowlands, and your reign shall be long and prosperous. Not a single drop of Hyena blood after that day, will be spilt. All that I require... is the death of Kiava."_ **He told her. Asante stared at the Tiger for a full minute before opening her mouth.

"Very well... I can take you to him."

* * *

**AN:**

**Well well well! Its been some time hasn't it? This chapter was a bitch to write. Seriously. I would write about three lines, then sink into hour long writers block.**

**Kiava was very competent in this chapter, and his first real test as a leader! I hope you are finding it to your tastes, as he will continue to grow as leader as the book progresses!**

**In other news, new things in life have been keeping me busy – including starting University! Sweet!**

**Obviously with the holidays over, things will not be completed so quickly – but there won't be a huge hiatus as this break was now that this chapter is out of the way. **

**Coming up next, we return to Danyal, Vitani and the others, as we set up some of the plot lines for this book! I really think that you will enjoy this!**


	5. Chapter 4 - Conspiracies

**"Hello Everyone. Again, sorry for the slow pace in uploading chapters. Unfortunately, this will be the pattern for the foreseeable future. The opening of this scene is very fast paced and jumpy, deliberately so. I only warn you so that you don't get confused. Just read it slowly, and it will make sense... I am trying something a little arty... After that part, it goes to something a little more conventional, but is also home to one of the bigger plot twists in this book. But that said... I have four... five major plot twists planned this Book?"**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Conspiracies**

* * *

Vitani span in the mists, slicing out at unseen foes. She could hear their stone cold laughter, their shrieking roars of anger and sadistic cries of pleasure. They were all around her, yet also managing to stay out of sight. She shouted as she felt the raking pain of talon moving across her flesh. Blood spilled and boiled and hissed. The claw was almost white hot. She screamed in pain, but pressed on.

"Mother!" She shouted. Her own cry was almost lost in the whirling madness around her. It was like a wind, a cyclone, a tornado... but of sound. Sound that raged and pressed aginst her eardrums, sounds which muddeled and merged around her, seeming distant and up close at the same time, sound that caused her to shake, to make the very ground around her shake.

"Mother!" She called again. But there was no sign or sound of her.

Vitani looked around her again, and the mist seemed to clear... revealing a desolate wasteland. A reddened dusty ground... It reminded her of the out lands, barren of all life, but the dust was as hot as the desert's rage they had endured after being separated from the cubs for the first time. She looked around in horror... Where was she? Her thoughts were confused and addled... Had she taken a blow to the head recently? Her memory was fuzzy... but she remembered her mother... Zira.

"Mum!" She cried, and for a moment her form flickered... and the graceful huntress was gone... in her place was a cub... Not what one might call a darling to look at. She was dirty, covered in filth, and skinned. Her eyes were wide and edgy, always looking, and bloodshot from lack of sleep. They were a piercing blue and they were the only spot of colour... and even that was half hidden under a an overgrown, unkempt tuft of fur that seemed to want to obscure the small beauty she possessed. She darted around... and then flickered again, her adult form returning. She was taller, older and stronger. Better fed as well. But her eyes were the same...

"Mother!" she cried again, looking around her. Then she gasped. The sky above her was a darkened red... Great clouds of black ash filled the sky, and the sun was a terrible Scarlet red, and ten times the size it should have been... filling the sky, and yet the shadows seemed to grow all the stronger for it. The light should have dazzled her, but the darkness remained. The air reeked of sulphur, giving the wind and acidic bite, and all around her the roaring sound grew in strength and size.

"Mother!" She called one last time... But her voice was lost in the wind. And now the sound was terrible, she screwed her eyes shut, trying to blot it out, but it was too much... And then she became aware of something else. The sound was not a toneless roar... it was the sounds of screams. A hundred, thousand screams all crying out in total pain and misery, merging together in a world of suffering and torment, filling the darkness with their agony. And somewhere in it all was her mother... She looked out across the wasteland, and here and there she could see shapes, great bat like figures moving and twisting, the mist becoming coils of smoke and flame, obscuring her vision... And between them, there were other shapes... little wisps of light and flickers of colour against the monotony of red and black... and around them the bat-like shapes swooped and circles, bringing terrible claws that glowed with heat against them, tearing and slashing and poking and prodding, sending jolts and scrapes of pain through the beings of light...

"What is this place..." She whispered in horror, as around her the smell of sulphur became tinged with the smell of burning flesh... of burning spirit...

"_Vitani... You can't be here..." _A voice said... Vitani turned, and saw a familiar ghostly figure.

"Mother?" She gasped. Zira smiled, then cried out in pain as a creature of smoke and darkness swiped at her, spinning out the darkness, tearing into the her essence, then disappearing again just as suddenly... the damage seemed to heal after a moment, and then the creature returned to repeat its torment. Some cackled, some laughed, some screamed... some were silent and some seemed to weep as if tormented by their own actions as much as the suffering they inflicted...

"_Vitani... Go from here... this place is not for you yet..."_

"Mother..."

"_Go! There will be an eternity for you to return in good time, dear daughter... enjoy the sweetness of life while you still have it..."_

"What is this place? Tell me!"

"_These are the caves of Damned, Tani! The realm of darkness! The heavens are nothing, there is only darkness! Only darkness for one such as me! Only an eternity of pain for Zira Devilqueen!"_ She howled as a pair of demons born into her skin, spinning as they approached and piercing through her, drilling through her ghostly form. She gasped and jerked... but the damage soon healed, leaving her panting biting her teeth in pain...

"Tani!" Another voice called. Vitani turned, tears in her eyes to see another hauntingly familiar face.

"Kovu?! But... But you weren't... You were..."

"The Spawn of Scar! I was the Heir of Darkness! Did you really think my reign would lead to me to any kingdom other than this?! ARRRAH!" Kovu's soul raged in torment.

"No!" Vitani gasped... "This cannot be! This must NOT be!" She gasped. But Zira's screams and those of Kovu were soon drowned out by other howls... Howls she recognised. The shrieks of River Lords and Hyenas, Wilddogs... Standing to one side a long way off was the burnt shape of a Tigress... Sekmet howled as vulture like beings made of smoke pecked and clawed at her skin, her back, and her eyes... The cries of the murderess were mingled with the shrieks of the innocent.

"_**LIFE IS PAIN, VITANI! WHO SAID THE AFTERLIFE WAS DIFFERENT!?"**_ howled another and Vitani turned and saw with horror a being of darkness step slowly towards her...

"No..." She whispered. Scar laughed... His form was butchered and mangled... in places his skeleton was visible where the flesh had been picked clean by Hyenas and demons... but his scar remained in place... And the scar was made of fire... scarlet flame perpetually burning his face.

"Ah... Till death do we part, dear Zira..." He chuckled, while Zira shrieked as the vulture like beings began to claw and peck at her. She swiped at them, but it was like trying to stab smoke... they evaporated and reformed even as her claws moved. Around them, the ground began to glow red, and the heat of the sun high above them began to gain in strength... Thunder and cataclysmic earthquakes shook the ground, and magma began to spill out around them. Scar looked at his former mate sadly.

"The first twenty seasons are the worst of it... afterwards... well, the pain doesn't get numbed... but you become used to it... This is the fate that awaits all of our family, Vitani..."

"No! NO! Mother! Kovu! This isn't right! It isn't _fair!" _She said desperately.

"Dear Vitani... You've lived through the Imperium... If you still thought by this point that the world was fair... then you've really not been paying attention..." The tyrant laughed, his spirit driven completely insane... the fate which would await her mother_... _And not the magma and flames around them began to spread faster... it began to engulf everything. Spirits and a souls and demons and visions... there only flame and darkness.

* * *

**_"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGH!"_** Vitani screamed, waking up suddenly. The night air was dissipating, and the shock of the dream still pulsed through her. Immediately, Almasi was there at her side.

"Its okay! Its fine remember... everything is fine, it just a bad dream... just a nightmare!" Almasi said. Vitani looked at her, her panic beginning to subside. She brought her heavy breathing under control and began to ease. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. When she opened her eyes, her familiar steel calm was present again. She shook her head.

"It was so real..." She said.

"What did you see?" Almasi asked her. Vitani shook her head.

"A world... a world of fire and torment... The Abyss that awaits the Shai'tan and their Master... My mother was there... unable to ascend to the heavens because of her cruelty... And Kovu... And Nuka, I think... all of them..."

"Vitani... Its was just a dream. It means nothing..."

"_What if it doesn't? _What if Zira really is being tortured there for eternity?"

"That is nonsense and you know it... Zira did the right thing... She sacrificed herself so that you could escape, her daughter! She did it knowingly, she was beginning to change, Vitani, she was better!"

"What if it wasn't enough? I should have saved her... she should have had a chance! A chance to be someone other than the witch she had become! A chance to be..."

"A chance to be a good mother?" Almasi asked her. Vitani looked away. Almasi sighed. Vitani shook her head. She thought back to her mother, her brothers, her family. Hardly the picture of a happy family, but all that she had, and the pain of losing them was once again pulled out in front of her.

"I spent my entire life, convinced that the Kings of the Past were a legend... And when Kovu died, I convinced myself that they were real, so that I wouldn't have to admit that he was gone... So what do I do now? If I believe in the afterlife, my brother survives, but my mother is tortured for eternity... And if I don't believe it, my mother is spared... But I am left alone again..." Vitani said quietly. Almasi stared at her friend.

"Vitani. _You are not alone. _You are never alone..." She said softley. "Zira... was a complicated lioness. Vitani, She wasn't a good mother... She wasn't a good person. But sometimes, bad people are able to do good things the same as good people can do bad things. It doesn't matter what Zira actually was. She _tried _ to be a good person, in the end. She wouldn't have faced damnation for that. We can't ever know all the answers Vitani..."

"Why not?" Vitani laughed bitterly.

"The day we have the answer, is the day we stop asking..." Almasi pointed out. Vitani sighed. Already her head was bursting with the hundreds of tasks she knew she would need to accomplish before dusk. She could waste no more time on her own dreams.

"What time is it?"

"Early morning... Dawn isn't long past." Vitani sighed. Another restless night.

"Sorry for waking you up..." She said, and stood up, stretching. Today would be another long say.

After surviving the Battle of The Glade, as it was becoming known as, the animals of the united Prides, and escaped gladiators had bound together. A few has gone their seperate ways, taking advantage of their freedom to get themselves as far away from the Shai'tan as they possibly good. They had scattered, and attempted to find their way to the Pridelands borders, either heading south to the great Desert, trying to cross into the sparsely patrolled Southlands, or else to make it over the eastern mountain ranges beyond the Jungle, to the mountain lands, and the far eastern lands beyond where the touch of the Shai'tan was less pronounced... Even so, they now had no idea how far the power of the Shai'tan had permeated. The Pridelands were tightly under the grip of the Shai'tan. Some would make it. Some would not.

"Inti! Go for him, you can do it!"

"Look out Koron, he's coming round again! Watch – ouch! That looked... nasty." two cries pierced their hearing. Almasi and Vitani looked to one another.

"The cubs..." Almasi said, softly. Vitani moved swiftly, but without urgency and soon found the source of the cries. Surrounded by about half a dozen of the other gladiators, Inti and Koron were sparring again, in a rough circle. Many of the animals watched them with interest. Inti span like a coiled snake and struck out a Koron who returned blow for blow. Their claws were unsheathed, though there was little power behind their blows, Vitani couldn't help but wince as a claw came dangerously close to Inti's eye. The young cub wasn't deterred, and lashed out with his powerful jaws, clamping viciously around Koron's neck and dragging the cub to the ground. He grunted, and tried to free himself but Inti had already released him.

"Mortal." He told him. A deadly wound. Koron nodded, and Inti looked around in surprise as Vitani and Almasi approached.

"Mother... Vitani... Did you come to watch us spar?" He asked carefully, but avoided his mother's eyes. She scowled at him.

"You know I cannot bare to watch you fight one another..." She said. Inti shrugged.

"We do what we must. We will not allow ourselves to be caught again, not without a fight." He reminded her. Almasi shook her head and strode away. Vitani sighed.

"You know she only wants what's best for you..." She told Inti. Inti sniffed.

"She might have convinced Sara to give up her training but she won't convince me. I will not hide in the shadows the next time the Shai'tan come to call... And you agree with me, so don't pretend to think ill of me for training in the mornings with the others former slaves..." Inti said sharply. Vitani nodded.

"You are right... I do think you are wise to be cautious. I also think you are insensitive of your mother by doing so in the middle of the our camp where she cannot help but to here and see you. She went through a lot of emotional anguish when you were imprisoned, Inti, and it hurts her to think -"

"With all due respect, Vitani, I think you might find that we endured a lot more than emotional anguish when we were imprisoned."

"Inti, I didn't mean-"

"Have a good day, Vitani. Rei, Koron, come with me. We'll secure our own meat tonight." He said. And the rest of the slaves left without a word. Vitani ground her teeth in frustration, but no sooner had she finished with Inti, when another voice caught her ear.

"I don't care if you _think _that you owned this piece of meat. We hunted it, its ours, and it will stay ours for the foreseeable future. Go and hunt your own." A jaguar said sharply. It was Darina, one of the other escaped slaves. Already the young female was proving to be a formidabe force within their group, and now Vitani found herself wishing Inti hadn't gone of in such a huff. If the situation involved Darina or her sister, it could be problematic.

"What seems to be the problem?" She asked. Darina, and the Asiatic Lioness in front of her turned in surprise. The lioness smiled to see her but Darina bared her teeth.

"None of your business, Vitani." She said sharply. The lioness growled.

"Darina and her compatriots here are sitting on a pile of meat they hunted a few days past. Its nearing the end of its prime, and Lukaan and some of the injured need food for the day. But Darina here is refusing to share with the wounded." She said. Vitani had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. This was it? Petty squabbles? Really? Before she could speak, Darina had snapped her teeth.

"It was hunted by escaped slaves, for the wounded among _us. _Not for you. Go hunt your own meat."

"What wounded? Yours are all capable of walking!" The Asiantic Lioness snarled. Darina laughed.

"My sister, Karina, is waking with a limp and can't hunt. And Forn is very seriously injured!"

" Your sister is fine, and as for Forn, that wilddog has caused enough damage without scrounging meat from the others!"

"Forn?! That wilddog happens to be the only wilddog for ten thousand miles not in league with the Shai'tan! He was tortured in Golgorath the same as the rest of us-"

"And was he there for objecting to the Shai'tan's rule, or for murdering one of his pack-mates? Hmm? I've heard mixed reports."

"He did both!"

"So we're joined by yet another backstabber? Watch yourself, Jaguar... Because between Seba, and Forn, I am beginning to wonder how many of your supposed gladiators are trustworthy. The rest of us ran for our lives every day whilst you were imprisoned! I watched my home burn under the Shai'tan's rule... Hell my kind is facing extinction, and I will not let one more Asiatic lioness die, because her food went to a mangy treacherous dog and his pals!

"You little! I'll gut you!"

"ANYWAY!" Vitani shouted, and the two animals blinked and turned as if seeing Vitani for the first time again. Vitani glared at them.

"Have you two forgotten that you are on the same side! You've both fought the Shai'tan and you've both paid terrible prices for your courage! Are you really stupid enough to start wasting your time with name calling and rumour mongering? Enough. I will not hear another word about it!

Darina, you are part of a big Pride now, and you'll act like it, by working with the Hunting parties to bring in enough game for everyone. And as for you... What are you, a Hyena? Poaching kills of others? You should be ashamed of yourself. You are on the same side, so start acting like it!" Vitani snapped, fully incensed. The two animals glared at one another and then at her, and went in separate directions without looking back. Vitani groaned. She found it impossible to command these... The Asiatics respected her, didn't seem to trust her judgement, and the slaves didn't even give her that. Barring Inti and Sara, the escaped fighters were loose cannons. They would fight, oh yes, they could fight, but they refused any kind of authority other than their own. Only Koron seemed able to control them, and only Inti and Sara seemed able to control _him. _The rest of the time, they were a shambles. Had her mother really died for this? She shook her head. There would be time for her to ponder these things later, time to think of a compromise, time for rational debate and discussion, time for her to prove herself a leader to the rest of them.

For now they could afford no luxury...

"Vitani!" Another voice called. Vitani almost screwed her eyes shut in irritation.

"What now!?" She snapped, and turned to see Danyal and the young leopard cub in front of him. The young lion's scarred form was unmistakable. Great – more guilt. Just what she needed this morning.

"'Tani, Calin And I have been scouting the area. I know where we are."

"What did you find?" She asked cautiously. Calin grinned.

"To the west, not far from here, there is this ring of Stones. Great black polished pillars of dusty black stone. Five of them, in a circle. Gave me the creeps. Didn't feel natural..." Calin said. Vitani nodded.

"Ah! Five Stones. So..."

"So its as we thought. Sundar's Gateway took us back into the Pridelands, several miles to the Northwest of where we left. The Shadowlands lie to our north, the Swamplands to our backs. That's why we haven't seen many of the Shai'tan's spies, this area is completely desolate. We are several hours away from _anything. _And the birds avoid Five Stone's like the plauge... They get lost around here, so we shan't need to worry about those... It's perfect." Danyal said. Vitani had to agree. Now things were looking up. She smiled at the young lion.

"Ah... Danyal. Praise the Kings. Someone competent." Did she really just say that? Kings, they _were _desperate. Calin jumped around.

"Great. Can I go and train with Inti and the other's now?" Calin asked Danyal. The lion nodded.

"Fine. After you check with Helio to see if he needs you to do anything." He said. It was unlikely he would ask anything of the young cub, since Helio had become one of the Pride's lead huntresses. They now incorporated so many animals in their group that multiple hunts were required to feed them all. The cub ran off excitedly causing Danyal to roll his eyes. Vitani laughed as she watched him disappear.

"Well, at least one of us has managed to keep disciple in their followers..." She said, and told Danyal of her ordeal with Asiatics and the Slaves. Danyal listened, and then groaned in the retelling.

"This... could be very serious, Vitani... I think, I had better get the others. I think we need to discuss this..." He said.

"I have a horrible feeling you are right..."

About an hour later, the leader's of Vitani's group were all gathered. Helio, Sundar and Lukaan sat together, representing the Asiatics. Danyal, Almasi and Damu paced next to them. And joining them, were Inti, Sara and Koron. By some unspoken consensus, the three cubs now seemed for Slave than Pridelander. They had been... changed... by their time in Golgorath. Inti's flame orange eyes now seemed to burn in the night. But there was a coldness to them that hadn't existed before. Sara seemed less changed, but there was an edge to her manner, a quickness to her eyes that was new to her character... And Koron... Heaven only new what Koron had once been like, but now the shadowy cub sat in silence, blood red eyes staring, piercing, questioning. And he lay about among his elders, totally at home. A Rouge trapped in the body of a cub. He seemed almost bored at the situation. Vitani explained the situation and recounted the days events to them all, and received varying responses. Sundar and Danyal shared a look.

"After every hing we have been through... We can't let things fall apart now..." She said, to which Danyal nodded in agreement. Helio shook his head.

"I wish it were that simple... But there hasn't ever been a gathering like this... forever. When have leopard, jaguars, cheetahs, and lion's all fought together? We are asking too much of them. They are frightened of loosing what little they have left."

"Are you saying that we should just leave them at oneanother's throats? Even if we managed to hold this group together, they can't _fight _together. They won't and you can't make them." Inti said shortly. Helio growled softly.

"I am suggesting no such thing, just that it can't hurt to have a little empathy for the poor souls so recently freed from captivity. I'll apologise for caring." He snapped. Inti barked a laugh.

"Spare me your pity. I didn't see any of the Asiatics working to free us from Golgorath, so don't prtend you actually care about us." Inti snapped.

"Inti! That's not what he meant and you know it." Sara said, but Koron nodded in agreement with Inti.

"He has a point though. Just take today's escapade for example. We'd trust Forn with our lives – we have had to. We have every reason to. We have no reason to trust any prissy Asiantic who didn't lift a claw to help us." Koron said.

"Hey, HEY!" Danyal interrupted. "You know full well a frontal assault would have been suicidal. You trust _me _Inti, and I trust them." Inti paused then nodded. He did trust Inti... and in fairness, they had no reason to distrust the Asiatics... But the enemy of his enemy was not necessarily a friend.

"I'll have a word with some of the other slaves... But only if you explain to those lionesses that we'll take care of our own, and anyone seen so much as looking at Forn suspiciously will have me to answer to!" He said. Sundar bit her tongue. The lioness in question had clearly been concerned for a friend and frustrated that meat wasn't being shared around... but... He had a point. She nodded.

Vitani glared at them.

"You see? You are at one another's throats already. And even though you are working together, you can't help but push for each other's goals."

"You'd think they'd prioritise our problems a little more..." Damu said irritably. It was incredible that they could squabble at a time like this, and he said as much. Vitani shook her head.

"No... Its very normal. We are no different to the animals we are leading...

They feel like they can't possibly deal with the problems plaguing us at the moment, so they become irritable... they take it out on each other, and they aggressively seize upon any issue they think they can fix, making issues out of nothing, and invariably making things worse at the same time...

What we need... is a new perspective. We are on the same side here."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The Slaves are obsessed with killing Shai'tan, and freeing any other Slaves. Damu's priority now is finding Zuri – no, don't shake your head Damu, its perfectly reasonable - I want vengence for the family I have lost, Almasi wants to protect the family she has left. The Asiatics want..."

"We want to reclaim the Heartlands." Lukaan said. Vitani nodded. Danyal lifted his gaze.

"Our objectives are similar but they overlap and clash... But they don't have to. Each of those goals can be accomplished by a single goal. THIS is what needs to be understood by every member of this Pride, no matter where they are from. The One goal must take priority over our personal goals. Overwise, we risk failing."

"And what goal would that be? Hmm? While I wish you the best will in the world, Lukaan, I shan't get myself killed reconquering the Heartlands any time soon." Koron said. Lukaan sighed.

"I am aware." He said. Vitani cleared her throat.

"I have been thinking about this... Thinking about what goal unites us all, and it is this: The destruction and defeat of the Imperium. Not just the deaths of the Shai'tan, but the disassembly of the Imperium itself."

"You are saying..."

"We need to retake the Pridelands, and we cannot do that without Kiava..."

"I know... I dread to think of the poor lad trying to survive on his own..." Danyal muttered. Vitani sighed.

"Its worse than that... Its not just about getting Kiava back safe and sound... The Asiatics don't trust me, and the slaves don't trust anyone. The lionesses are getting into arguments with both of them, and no one takes orders from anyone but their own leaders, one of whom is a traumatised cub, the other an injured male. Neither takes orders from _me _without someone breaking their forepaw. They only care about hurting the Shai'tan, which is all very well when they are baring down our necks, but it makes any overarching strategy _impossible_..."

"So your saying you need to get their leader's to cooperate?"

"No. I am saying that they need a leader they can _all_ relate to. Cheetahs, Leopards, Slaves, all of us. Pridelanders, one and all. We need to be Pridelanders before we are anythign else... the one thing uniting all Pridelanders... Is their King. They can't go on just fighting the Shai'tan for hatred's sake. Its not a fight we can win. We won't be able to murder every Shai'tan and all their followers... we are too few and they too great."

"I will give it a good go..." Koron said, and Inti bared his teeth at that. Vitani shook her head.

"No! If we are to have success against the Shai'tan we need more followers, more fighters. We need people to want to join us in our rebbelion. We need people to risk everything to help us. We need to bring people back from the clutches of the Shai'tan! We need Kiava... We need a _King_! We him to claim the crown, so we can actually oppose the Shai'tan... Otherwise... What are we? What is the point?"

"Killing the Shai'tan seems like a pretty good objective to me... But I think I see your point..." Danyal said. Vitani nodded.

"I am glad you agree."

"So that is your solution? Find Kiava?" Danyal asked.

"We give them what they want. Want they _need. _We give them Kiava." She said. Sara shook her head.

"Maybe I am the only one hwo sees this flaw, but we havn't got the foggiest idea_ where _Kiava is! We could still be months away from finding him. He might even be dead!" Sara said. Vitani grinned, and for once, Damu was reminded of her mother. A chill went down her spine to see it.

"_Precisely_... But... There is still a solution. We can't find _our_ Kiava... But the other's don't need to know that..." Vitani said. There was stunned silence.

"No. No way." Koron said and got up and began to walk away.

"Koron, get back here!" Sara snapped. Her eyes were cold now as she starred at Vitani.

"What on earth do you mean by that?!" She asked Vitani. Vitani's eyes gleamed.

"It was a thought I had a while back... not long after I came to my senses following my mother's death..." She said. Damu looked very distressed.

"If you are suggesting what I think you are..."

"Look. I won't beat about the bush. This is what I am suggesting: _We create an imposter._ A False-Kiava. One who will appear to lead the Pride. We create something for the Shai'tan to challenge. An illusion. This Kiava is the one who strikes out at the Shai'tan, leading us against the Imperium." Vitani said. There was more quiet.

"I... See. You mean to let the Shai'tan think they are fighting Kiava..."

"Yes. And our fighters as well." She said. Sundar gasped.

"You can't! You can't lie to them about something like this!"

"If it means the infighting stops..." Sara said, deep in thought.

"And what about when we fight the Shai'tan? What of the animals who die! Do we let them die for a deception! A lie! No! NO! I won't condone this." Danyal said.

"I agree with Scarface over there... They deserve better than this." Koron said. Vitani growled softly.

"Dying for a deception?! Its better than dying for no reason at all, or do you no longer believe in the righteousness of out cause?" She asked him.

"That's not fair!" Sundar snapped, but Damu interrupted.

"Perhaps we _should_ consider it... I mean, it can't hurt the Real Kiava... In fact, if we are successful, he will hear of us, and know its safe to return to us. And in the meantime, the Shai'tan will call off the hunt for him..." Damu said. Helio began to nod slowly.

"I think I can see this working... It is for the greater good. And we can always tell them _eventually _by the time we actually have the real Kiava."

"Yes! And in the mean time, they will have learnt to work together. We are helping them stay alive by saving them from their own stupidity!" Vitani said. Koron still scowled.

"That's incredibly patronising you know..." He snapped. Then he nodded. "But... If it saves their lives... if it makes them focus on the bigger issues..."

"And if it brings us closer to defeating the Shai'tan..." Almasi said again.

"Koron, it won't just bring us closer, it is the only _chance _we have. If we don't do this, we are doomed to failure. We'll devour ourselves long before we get a chance to actually fight..." Vitani said.  
"No. I don't like it. Its dangerous to begin with, making one of us a target for the Shai'tan, not to mention vulnerable to attacks from within the Pride... What if the truth is discovered? How kindly will they take to being lied to? We could undo everything we have worked for!" Almasi said.

Koron, Inti, Vitani, Damu, and Lukaan nodded. Danyal, Sundar, Almasi and Sara remained unconvinced.

"It isn't right... Surely we can just _talk _to them? Make them see that unless they work together-" the lioness cub protested. She looked distinctively uncomfortable.

"Its not that simple Sara... Maybe eventually we could trust them with the truth, when we were sure that they wouldn't just all go their separate ways... We can't fight the Shai'tan alone." Vitani said.

"We've fought with them before! Who knows how they'd react? The Slaves are _broken. _They endured so much in those pits, of course they'll be frightened! Scared. They are unpredictable but that doesn't mean we should lie to them! They can be trusted without being made to think they are helping a King who isn't there!" Sara said. Danyal nodded.

"I agree... Lukaan, you can't agree to this, you know your kind better than _I _do, you know they'll listen to reason..." Danyal said. Lukaan winced.

"I trust them completely Danyal... But I can't _make_ them trust Vitani. They like her, certainly, but they won't obey her orders without question, and if we are going to be fighting alongside one another, they need to be able to trust that if they take certain actions, they'll be backed up by the Pridelanders..." Lukaan said. He sighed. "I see no other option, for now, than... Misleading them... for the greater good." Lukaan said. Sundar frowned at him.

"I don't like this... If everyone else agrees to this, then I shall go along with it, but I don't like it." She said softly.

"You are _manipulating_ them." Danyal accused. Vitani blinked.

"I don't-"

"You are proposing that we should lie to them, to make our jobs easier. It's easier to make them fall in line, to make them behave in a way that benefits us." He said. He didn't like how this was going. It sounded far to much like something Zira would do.

"It benefits them all!" Vitani said. How could she make them understand? Is wasn't as if she was _tricking _them. Kiava did need them. And Kiava was going to challenge the Shai'tan. They were not installing a puppet ruler, merly giving them a manifestation of their ideals. A Symbol. It was no different to _actually _having Kiava among them, apart from that he wasn't. She wasn't lying about their motives, or about the righteousness of the task. She wasn't convincing them to throw their lives away from a hopeless task. If Kiava were here, she wouldn't change her argument at all... That wasn't wrong, surly? If they were prepared to fight and risk their lives for the sake the rightful King, what difference did it make that the King wasn't genuinely present? She tried to explain as much, and Sara's protests faded, but Danayl and Almasi were unmoved.

"That's not the point!" Danyal said angrily. "Let them distrust one another for now. Eventually, they'll get over it! They will learn to work together, and will do so without us tricking them into into it. They deserve better than this... They aren't pawns!" He said.

"And in the mean time, how many of them will die? How many of _us _will die? Are you willing to gamble your fate that eventually, they'll turn around and say: 'uh, actually, you were right all along?' Are you willing to gamble the fate of the Pridelands because you are scarred of getting your paws dirty? What matters more to you, a Free Pridelands, or a clean conscience?" Vitani said, nearly shouting with frustration. It was all very well to be against lying in principle, but if there was one thing her mother had taught her, it was that sometimes it was necessity to bend ones own morals for the greater good. Danyal looked around.

"You are making a mistake." Almasi said, glaring at her friend. "I understand why you want to do this, but I am _begging _you, don't. It will backfire. It is wrong. Don't let your fear push you into making a decision you'll regret." Almasi said.

"Don't let yours push you into making one you'll regret. If Sara and Inti were killed right now, would you tell a lie like this to bring them back? Of course you would. So why not lie to protect them now?" Vitani asked him. Danyal hesitated. Sundar's gaze fell on the ground. Then she sighed.

"Fine. As you will." She said. And with that, Danyal's resolve collapsed.

"So be it." He agreed. Almasi still frowned, but in the face of everyone elses oposition, she to fell silent.

"Very well." She said. It was decided.

No one smiled. There was a grim sense of agreement around them, but not a unity. They had spoken, and they had disagreed so profoundly, many didn't look one another in the eye. There was no taste of victory for her. Vitani nodded

"Well then... We need to find ourselves a Kiava. Someone everyone here trusts, no matter where they are from. Someone liked, respected, who people won't question. Someone who has already shown promise in fighting the Shai'tan, and someone who looks the Part." Vitani said. Danyal nodded.

"Who did you have in mind?" He asked. She looked away.

"Only one of us have ever actually killed a Shai'tan..." She said. Danyal froze. Surley she didn't mean...

"Oh, Hell no!" He said sharply, just as the other's realized. Helio barked out a laugh.

"Oh for crying out loud... This just gets better and better doesn't it? The Warrior, the Hero, and now the bloody King as well... Someone up there really hates me..." Helio said exasperated. Danyal shot him a filthy look but Lukaan was nodding.

"True... The Slaves haven't really met you yet – you spent every waking minute after we escaped looking after Sundar while she recovered from exhausting herself... You've not spoken to any of them other than Koron..." He pointed out. Danyal backed away.

"No. No. This is a _really _bad idea! It would never work!"

"You agreed that it was the best cause of action..." Damu said.

"To produce a fake Kiava, _not to become one! _This is insane..." He said. Almasi was looking at him frowning.

"Do something about his mane but... It could work. And having Kiava be an adolescant rather than a cub couldn't hurt moral... And you are right, Danyal, you _killed _Sekmet! That already makes you a legend... If other animals heard that Prince Kiava had returned to wage war upon the Shai'tan and that he had succeeded in killing one, others could flock to our cause..." She said. Now they had accepted the unpleasantness of the lie, it was becoming more and more evident that, moral ambiguity aside, the idea _was _a good one... Sundar looked around, looking nervous.

"But... The Asiatics _know _he's Danyal!..."She said.

"Not necessarily... What if _Danyal _was the name of the other cub? And Kaiva and Danyal traded identities in order to confuse the Shai'tan? A Decoy?" Lukaan suggested.

"They'll never believe we'd allow that... Using a child as a decoy..." Damu said. Vitani frowned.

"They'd believe it of me... I am the daughter of Zira remember? Besides, I don't need to fake guilt over the cubs disappearance in any case." She said.

"Hey, HEY!" Danyal shouted. They looked at him. "Don't I get a say in this?" He exclaimed. "I already said I wouldn't do it! Forget it! The whole idea is mad anyway, I won't do it!" Danyal said. It was Inti who broke the silence.

"The idea is a good one, Danyal... You can do it. You were right before, I _do _trust you. We can't keep fighting among ourselves, and if there is one lion who could unite them in Kiava's place, its you." Inti said.

"I... I don't look a thing like Kiava! His fur was Royal Gold, and his mane was pitch Black! Mine is dark brown, my fur only slightly lighter!" he protested weakly. Vitani laughed.

"You look more like Kovu than Kiava ever did, Danyal! Kiava took after both his parents. You look nothing like Kiara, but your fur is brown, and your eyes are a brilliant Emerald. You look enough like Kovu that it'll not arouse suspicion. Anyone with vague memories of Kovu will see enough of him in you... The alternative is having Inti... and his fur... well... He doesn't even look like my brother or his mate. The Royal Family has never had a flamemaned King. Scarlet, Crimson, Pitch Black, even Dark Gold manes, but never flame... I highly doubt Inti would pass as Kiava. Even a false one. No one here aside form us have ever actually _seen _Kiava, how would they know which of his parents he took after?" Vitani said. It made sense but even so...

"Hold on a second, Inti? He can't!" Danayl protested. Inti sighed.

"One of us has too, and for the love of Kings, it can't be Koron!" Inti said. Danyal looked taken aback.

"No, you can't! You are already a target for the Shai'tan, if you pretend you are Kiava as well..."

"I don't have a choice. Believe, once upon a time being King would have been a thrilling proposition, but given the circumstances..." Inti said.

There was silence.

"Very well..." Danyal said at last. He gulped. "I guess... I am a Prince now... for all intents and purposes..." He said queerly. This was going to be a very difficult situation. Sundar looked at him oddly, and Helio laughed, though no one seemed to see the funny side of it.

"I'll do it... If you think it is for the best. But I do not like it." Danyal said. Almasi sighed.

"I agree with you my friend. But we must make the best of it. And perhaps we chose the lesser of two evils..." She said. Damu nodded.

"I should tell Rafiki and Yessen. Their complicitness is essential." She said. Sundar also stood up.

"I will speak to Calin. That leopard cub also knows of Kiava, and is very close to Danyal. He must be told as well, to make sure he doesn't say anything foolish." Sundar said.

When the others departed, only Vitani and Lukaan remained. They would announce the "Truth" to the Pride on the morrow. For now, they would simply rest... and in some cases, prepare themselves. Vitani sighed. Danyal had a point... but in the long run, the deception would save lives.

"You know it won't be enough." Lukaan said, quietly.

"I know."

"The Pridelanders, the Slaves and any who would join us might well be united under Kiava... But you are missing one _Crucial _factor... The Asaitics... My people. They have no loyalty to Kiava. Our home is lost..."

"This is your new home..."

"To die for? We've barley lived here... We lost so many good lionesses in the Battle of the Glade... You know as well as I do that eventually, one will ask why we don't simply move on... and leave this land to its fate. And when one does..."

"I intend to have forged an alliance with your people by them. Not just in words. The Pridelands will become your home as much as ours..."

"How?" Lukaan asked.

Vitani smiled grimly, though there was nothing to be pleased with.

"I have a plan for that."

"Another way to use Danyal?" Lukaan asked, and Vitani could tell that although he might have agreed with the necessity of the Plan, like others, he was not over enthralled with the idea of it.

"No... A way to use _Sundar."_ She said.

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**AN:  
So what did you think of that?**

**What do you think of all the characters here? Danyal, Calin, Vitani, Koron and the Twins have all undergone radical changes since their original appearances and have all changed quite a bit... What are your opinions of the characters?**

**To recap this rather long chapter, Vitani witnessed her first nightmare. Those of you interested, she indeed saw Hell, but it was just a nightmare. There is no significance to this image. We know Kovu is in the Heavens, so we also know that what Vitani saw was false. It does highlight however, how much this war is beginning to affect Vitani. She has lost so much, and whilst outright insanity is unlikely, it would be very odd if there was not some mental trauma there. Maybe that is what is making her resort to such drastic action. I feel like Vitani is on a slippery slope here...  
Is she justified in her actions? Its becoming very clear that the various groups that make up her fledgling rebellion do not trust each other... The Slaves have become fractured and broken from the others, their experiences making them distrustful of everyone but themselves. The Actions of Seba haven't helped much, and apart from Danyal, the Asiatics don't feel very welcome in a foreign land, whilst theirs is considered lost.**

**In short, even though two Shai'tan are lost, the Pridelanders are no closer to defeating their enemies.**

**Next time: For the First time in the series... Kiava will confront Amun! I mean it. No cop outs, no fall backs. Kiava will finally come face to face with a Shai'tan.**

**But there could be treachery lurking around the corner...**

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**Please, please leave a review. Along with anything you particularly want to see. (Thematically, not specifically), since although the Plot is generally written, there is some wriggle room, and only the draft plot of the Final Book is written.**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Lion King Rises

**"Hello Everyone.  
And I am back! Wahey! Awesome. Its been a busy few months. Has it really been three months already? Well, hopefully, this chapter will make up for it. Its very long.  
Here is the latest Chapter. I think you will enjoy this. Firstly, can I thank the number of reviews I received last chapter. It is very gratifying to know that years after this series started, it is still frequented by faithful fans. I am grateful for this. I can promise you all a satisfactory conclusion to the series. Before all that however, here are the review responses! Including a few about whether or Not Zira's death, or presence was a continuity error."**

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**figgywelp**: Certainly. I can understand how you might think this. But this isn't the case.

Allow me to explain.

You will recall, that when Ammit was showing Scar the images of Zira's death, he was trying to cause him despair. To weaken him, in preparation for his attack on Scar's Body. Remember, Ammit sought to Possess Scar's corpse. To this end, he showed Scar a vision of Zira's supposed death, hoping to break his spirit, and make his give up. He say her dying, failing to fulfil his wishes, failing to avenge him. Her death was his fault. Now, had he showed Scar her _real_ death, he would have been encouraged to continue fighting, in the knowledge that there was something to fight for (Their daughter). So Ammit didn't lie with what he showed him, but he did allow Scar to infer from what he saw, that Zira was dead, when she wasn't at that point.

Also, recall that Scar specifically mentioned that time wasn't linear for the Spirits. He travelled forwards in time from the point of his own death, to the point of Zira's death, in order to comfort her spirit, and share his new-found revelation.

Scar (And the readers) assumed that this was directly after her fall into the River. In reality, it was directly after Marsade murdered her with his Sorcery. You assumed that no time had passed between her fall, and Scar finding her. In reality, about three years had passed for Zira, but mere moments for Scar. Scar himself, had spent several hours in the Twilight world, yet for everyone else, months and years had taken place.

I used this messing around with Time, and your own assumptions to create the illusion that Zira had died when she fell, and so surprise you when I revealed she had been alive the whole time. The fact she would die, was obvious, but when was the mystery.

When Scar fled Sarafina, several chapters ago, sounding concerned and worried, he watched Zira die, and found her Spirit. This lead directly into the Epilogue of Judgement. The Epilogue of Judgement, actually takes place after the events of Storm, but before Inferno. You just _thought_ it took place straight after the rest of Judgement. (Which, I'll admit, was the intention, allowing me to produce the Oracle as a plot twist.). There is no inconsistency. Just clever writing.

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**Author**: Don't worry. Vitani isn't insane. She is mentally ill – in that she is depressed, traumatised, and by now likely has several anxiety disorders. But she isn't mad, hallucinating, or psychotic. Her dreams are purely that. Nightmares, conjured by her darkest thoughts. Is Zira in the heavens? Well... Perhaps. Maybe not yet... She isn't in hell though... her Spirit is around and about. Don't be surprised if she makes a reappearance at some point...

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**sandydragon**: I am glad you liked it. It could blow up in their faces, true, but it could just as easily be the thing they need right now. Its dangerous, but it doesn't particularly favour one way or the other. Neither is totally wrong, not is it totally right. Sometimes, there are only bad options, and you still have to chose. I am glad you liked the dream sequence. Sometimes those are hard to do well, because of how fast everything is... so I am glad you were impressed.

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**Lord of Beef Dip**: Perhaps a better way could have been sought... But what options are there? How can the leaders prove that trust is there, especially given recent events with Seba, which lead directly to Zira's death, and the massacre of a third of their number? I am glad you enjoyed it however.

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**A Friend:** Nope. You are thinking of Saul, who was killed by an infected wound in Golgorath early on. Forn remains alive, though he is injured. He is around and about.

The follow up question is a query I have been asked a couple of times, so here is the response it warrants:

JJZ, is as far as I am aware, still on an extended leave of absence from FF, though he intends to return and finish "Judgement, MHV" at some point.

There are no plans to have a MHV of Legacies. A Few people have asked this, but it is felt that the themes of spirits and ghosts, shamanisms and Demons, would not translate well to the modern theme. In addition, if we take each generation to be... say... 20 years old at their peak height? That puts characters like Vitani aged around 50ish, and characters like Simba, 80ish. Scar and Zira would be in their hundreds. It Also puts the whole MHV theme so far into the future... I mean, Rise of Hyena concluded in the year 2045... Give time for Kiara to birth Kiava puts us at 2046 at least to begin with... That would lead to Kiava attempting to restore his throne in about 2060 minimum. 2070 is more likely. The series would likely end with that generation being middle aged... having kids about year 2085 or later. Since the story would end with the implication that the following children would have adventures of their own, those imagined adventures would take place in the years 2100. A hundred years into the future? I probably won't live that long – in fact I almost certainly won't. Hell, a Hundred years into the past is WWI – think of how different 100 years can make the world?  
That is so absurdly far into the future, it not really "Modern Human Version". Its "Sci-Fi."

That is to say nothing of the continuity. The Conflicting accounts of the Hyenas, placing Shenzi aged over 120 years old... How then to incorporate the Imperium into the worlds politics? What about the Shaman, and Marsade? Blood Magic, and Bane's resurrection? Cyborg-Terminator Bane sounds pretty awesome, but hardly in the spirit of the Lion King...  
And likewise, how would Kopa and Dion, Heckler and the threat of nuclear terrorism affect the world? China, Korea, Russia and Vietnam are not just known to the characters of the Lion King, but integral to their universe – since Taka's regime received massive support from the Communist Block (Just as Capitalist tyrannies received massive support from the US and EU in the real world, regardless of their atrocities) and Vietnam shaped Scar's past in a way vital to the series.  
The air of mystery and magic that Asiatica has would be completely lost. The idea of a ancient and powerful civilisation, lost to the mists of time, would be gone..

I think – if we ever did a Fifth MHV – it would either be another prequel, set during WWII, or a direct sequel. It wouldn't involve the Legacies stories at all.

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**ThatTexasKid**: Well, I won't give out spoilers... But There is a large explosion planned... As well as tentative thoughts for a flashback sequence... A flashback sequence of the Day the first Imperium Burned in Light. That should tide you over... And if you hate the Imperium, you might like this chapter a bit.

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**I encourage you to read the other responses, as they might contain information you would like to know... I also drop hints about future content sometimes... so there are a few titbits of information here and there...**

**Best advice I can give you, is to reread the previous chapters occasionally, especially if there is a gap between releases. Its helps with the cohesion. Hell, leave a second review while you are there... There are also a few clues and hints buried in classic Legacies. There is even a great clue about the finale way, way back in Judgement...**

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**Chapter 5: The Lion King Rises**

* * *

Skeleton Canyon was, as the name suggested, filled to the brim, with skeletons. Spines, ribs and skulls littered the valley with ivory and bone. But they were not the polished, jewel like substances seen throughout the Ivory tower, or decorating the throne room of Carrocscirr. Hyenas may be savage, but they not without their own culture, or a concept of beauty. They knew majesty when they saw it and the shining pearl-like hue of the ivory was alluring to anyone, even if it served no practical purposes. Hyenas were poachers and thieves, it was said (Though not to their faces), and what thief could walk away from such a prize? Here though, it was the like the grisly aftermath of some great battle.

It was also, extremely seismically unstable, and deep within the tunnels around them, there were many geysers, and vents which hissed and spluttered in varying intensity.  
Kiava said as much to his companions and Shenzi nodded knowledgeably.

"They say that it was... Long ago at an rate... None of these bones are from that conflict – if it left any they are long buried under layers of stone and ash... or else turn to dust by the passing of time. Even so, the land became a place of death after that final battle. It came as a surprise to no one that the Elephants took this land to be the place of their death." Shenzi said.

"What battle?" Kiava asked curiously, as they walked. Shenzi smirked. She hadn't seen such an avaricious lust for knowledge and history in years. Even Taka had poured scorn upon the histories the Hyena's kept, though there were some tales forgotten by the Lion Kings that even the Hyenas recalled.

"A terrible battle... Some will say it was fought between Good, Evil, and everything in-between. The imagery is poetic, though they do the scale of the carnage an injustice. The combatants were mortal... for the most part... But in numbers never seen before... I don't mean a _large_ Lion Pride, I mean _huge. Hundreds _of fighters_. _At its height... Nearly a thousand of them. And not just Lions and Hyenas... Lion's, Cheetahs, Leopards... and nameless creatures long since extinct... Legends fought on both sides... Not even the River Lords remained neutral... The legends say that the greatest of the River Lords, _Apothis the Leviathan, _joinedone side... and that he clashed with his twin _Aetum... _They make Sobek sound like a mere gecko, if their sizes were not exaggerated. _The two mightiest River Lords fought for three days and three nights, without rest or pause _u_ntil one defeated the other, and the other died of his wounds._ History doesn't tell us who died first..._" _She said. Kiava shivered at the thought.

"But if they were all mortal as you say, you know, lions and hyenas and wilddogs and the like... why do some tell the story as if the Spirits themselves were involved?" Kiava asked.

"It is said that The Great Spirits themselves wept tears of flame at the blood spilled and the devastation caused... But their anguish only added to the madness, as the flames fell about the field. Generations of heroes were killed."

"And it was fought here?" Zuri asked. Shenzi laughed.

"It was fought everywhere... From here to Golgorath, to Pride Rock, to Five Stones itself." She stopped.

"I am surprised you have never heard the stories. You sure have never heard this story?"

"I have vague memories of stories of there being a great battle around Five Stones... Danyal used to say that you could disappear if you stood between them at _Samhein._ But not one of that size. Maybe Danyal knew it – he always knew more than he should have about the history of the Pridelands. It used to drive Vitani insane... I think she wanted to forget it." Kiava said. Shenzi shrugged. Different cultures kept different traditions. She knew that the Civil War was rarely discussed in the Hyena Clans, and that she would have been hard pressed to find anyone who knew who Mohatu was, much less what he had accomplished.

"That's an old myth... I recall telling Ta-" She stopped herself. "I remember once telling Scar that legend. Zira was the one interested in it. I we were at Five Stones, actually. That was what started it. We were near Five Stones..."

"What were you doing there?"

"Oh, nothing important... I think we were telling stories to keep Zira entertained... She was heavily pregnant by that point, and she could have be vicious when she wanted to be. But she wasn't allowed to hunt much, and it infuriated her. We went to Five Stones as a way of breaking the tedium. She said the same as you – that she had never heard of the kingdom wide battle, just ancient rumours of a fight near Five Stones. I'd never been there in person, so we went there for a change of pace..." Shenzi said. She was quiet now, thinking to herself.

"You and Zira were at Five Stones the day Bane attacked her?" Zuri asked. Shenzi grinned.

"Yeah – Zira, me, and..." She went still. Kiava blinked.

"...and..." Zuri prompted her. Shenzi shook herself, and apologized.

"Sorry... Caught up in a moment there... Zira, myself and Hississ."

"Hississ? I don't think I have ever heard him mentioned in the stories Danyal used to tell." Shenzi shuffled slightly.

"Ugh... That would be because we didn't exactly advertise him... Hississ was Scar's personal assassin..." She said awkwardly. Kiava stared at her. Just when he was starting to think she was a relatively normal Hyena. He shook his head. Shenzi coughed. "Hey, don't look at me like that, that was a very different time. It wasn't as though _we _hired him, he defected when he was sent to kill Scar. Hississ wasn't a bad person... He was... nice. Do you know I haven't thought about Hississ since before I mated with Banzai. Kings, I must be getting old." She said, looking lost in thought.

"What happened to him?" Zuri asked. Shenzi sighed.

"What do you think happened to him? He was murdered. Bane killed him – or ordered him killed at any rate. They flayed him alive between Five Stones. He's buried under Pride Rock in an unmarked grave next to the cub he died protecting." She said heavily. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but can we change the subject slightly? This memory lane is a rough neighbourhood and we really need to focus on the matter at hand." She said. Kiava nodded. Shenzi had a point.

After fleeing the Shai'tan at Carroscirr, the Hyena Pack had made their way across the wasteland in good time, anxious not to be exposed a moment longer than necessary. Soon enough, they had come to the Skeleton Canyon, and Banzai, Shenzi and Ed had been delighted to discover that many Hyenas had escaped the slaughter at Carroscirr. Frightened, and exhausted, they were likewise delighted to find their leaders. Many had feared that Matriarch had been slain.

"Okay, everyone! HEY!" Shenzi called over the din, trying to reassert some control. To her credit, the Hyenas turned their attention with appropriate haste, and Kiava took a quick look around, trying to establish the number of the Hyenas there had been. The Clan had sustained heavy losses. There were nearly three dozen Hyenas, only a third of which were hardened fighters, and only a further third of which were warriors of any degree. The rest were either very young, very old, or very wounded. In Ed's haste to ensure the most vulnerable escape first, the greater proportion of their fighters had been crushed by the Shai'tan savage attack on the Shadowlands. The Tiger-Lord Amun, now had the clear supremacy of numbers. Wilddogs, jackals, and serpents, and the great Tiger himself, made a terrifying foe. There were perhaps two dozen jackals, and four dozen Wilddogs, as well as two dozen snakes. The Hyenas numbers – including Kiava's group, and the wounded who might recover in time for a fight, perhaps three dozen fighters? With odds of eight–to–three, nearly three times their fighting capacity, it would take a miracle to defeat even Amun's army. If each of the surviving Shai'tan were indeed in direct control of armies at least half again the size of Amun's – as Amun had sustained casualties in the battles before the slaughter – then the Shai'tan could feasibly call upon fifty dozen fighters within a matter of days... And if the Shai'tan had the time to call upon reserves from the Imperium itself... then they would bring across the ocean five times that number. The thought of eventually fighting nearly _Three_ -_Thousand_ of the Shai'tan's forces was almost enough to make him give up on what was looking more and more like a foolish venture. He could never hope to defeat the combined armies of the east.

All of which only made it more imperative that he did what he had to now.

He would use what the Kings had provided him. He would use the army of Hyenas before him now, to destroy Amun, and his armies, before they could become even more of a threat.

Looking up, he now saw that Shenzi had nearly finished giving her instructions to her followers, who were forming into packs to accomplish their assigned tasks. When she had finished, he moved up to her, and smiled.

"Thank you Shenzi."

She turned to the young Lion King, and the last of her reservations faded when she saw an frighteningly familiar serious look upon his face. A focused determination.

"You told me on the way here, that you had a plan. Do you still think you can defeat Amun's army?" She asked him. Kiava nodded.

"I think I can do it... But it will require you to trust me. Have faith." He told her. Zuri looked from the King to the Matriarch, frowning. She was worried now. Everything could fall apart. Finally, Shenzi nodded.

"I... I have chosen to trust you, Prince Kiava. If you say that you can defeat the Shai'tan and break their power over these lands, then we shall follow you." Shenzi said. Kiava grinned, showing a row of pointed teeth.

"Very well. Then would you mind sending for your daughter? Her gifts will be essential for this to work." He said.

* * *

_Many Hours later..._

* * *

Many hours later, and far across the dusty plains, Asante stalked through the dust. Behind her, a host of Jackals and Wilddogs moved. To her left, a great purple python seethed. But it wasn't the constrictor which almost paralysed her with fear. It was the Shai'tan who paced slightly ahead of her on her right. Amun moved with a cool and collected attitude that always gave the impression of brilliance. A mind calculating things beyond the scope of normal comprehension, and yet was not distracted nor its attention divided from the task at hand. It displayed yet another symbol of his power, rather than a potential weakness.

"_**So... Where is it these Hyenas will be fleeing?" **_He asked her yet again. It as unlikely he had forgotten, and almost certain that he was probing her story, looking for a trick or a trap. He had detecting none so far, yet even so, no one had ever been killed for being over cautious.

"If Ed was correct, then our numbers have been severely crippled by the attack. We stayed in Carroscirr when our numbers equalled yours, out of caution. If mother realises that her forces are now outnumbered, then it will be death for her to remain in the open plains. She'll go to a more defensive position. With Carroscirr lost, the closed I can think of is Skeleton Canyon. The valley has two steep sides, and it takes days to go around. Its also southern facing, and in some places, it narrows to a gap barely a few metres wide. Its an ideal place for a smaller force to hold back a larger one, where numbers count for nothing, and the jagged terrain makes holding formation difficult when attacking. She'll hole up there, and use it all to her advantage. The valley is also full of Carrion – though they'll harvest it as they pass through ahead of us. If you were planning a seige, then you are out of luck. You'll starve long before they do." Asante finished. Amun nodded. He had heard it before, and nothing in her story had changed. Finally he changed track.

"The two lion cubs... Who are they?" He asked. Asante paused.

"One is Kiava... He claims to be the descendant of Kovu, and King of the Pridelands. The other is a friend of his. No one important." She said. Amun nodded again.

"_**Claims? You doubt his legitimacy?"**_ He asked. It was not something he had considered. Asante shrugged.

"He simply marched into the Shadowlands, demanding to be allowed to see the Matriarch and suggested an alliance. Poorly timed if you ask me. Maybe he _is_ Kovu's son. Maybe he isn't. I can't explain how he managed to escape the harrowing of Pride Rock, but I don't understand why anyone would _claim _to be the one person guaranteed to ignite the Shai'tan's interest..." She admitted. Amun chuckled.

"_**By all accounts he is mad, if he genuinely sought an alliance with the Hyenas... Can you imagine such a thing?"**_

"Not if I was matriarch..." Asante said darkly.

After several hours, They finally came to a halt.

"Much closer, and they'll smell us coming." Asante warned them. Finally, she steeled herself.

"You promised you'd spare the Hyenas if I could brought you to Kiava. Give me a chance to lure him to you, first, before you attack them." Asante asked Amun. The Tiger Lord grinned.

"_**One of the many qualities that the Emperor demands from his Chosen, is **_**Patience****_. Do you really think that I would Sacrifice perfectly good fighters rather than delay a battle by a few hours? The fighters need some rest anyway. Go – and secure your bloodless Victory, Hyena. Make you and your kind a part of the Imperium." _**The Tiger Lord said, chuckling again. Asante bowed her head, and moved away.

"Asante!" a voice called to her once she had entered the Hyena's encampment. She smiled, recognizing the owner of the voice from a mile away. It was Bhagari, her most trusted lieutenant, and second in command of the Shadowpups. Somehow, her childhood friends had become just as powerful fighters as she herself had become. It was a tragedy that so many had been killed in the attack upon Carrocscirr. It was good to see that he had survived.

"Bhagari!" She greeted him. He grunted.

"Good to see you made it out alive. In all the chaos I didn't see if you made it... We took some pretty hard causalities... but fortunately for us, we fared better than most. Some groups were annihilated completely." He said somberly. That much was true.

"And my parents?" She asked tentatively. "How do they fair?"

"Physically... They are fine. Mentally. Well, its not my place to comment on the Matriarch or her mate." He said. Asante shook her head. She would have none of this from her oldest friend. Hang protocol and propriety, they were Hyenas, not leopards. She said as much, and her old friend grunted again.

"I would say they are shattered. Shenzi is trying to mourn everyone she thinks she lets down, and your father is trying to support her and keep everything running at the same time. I don't think its as bad as she fears though. Everyone has complete trust in your mother, they know they wouldn't have gotten out of their alive, if they hadn't." He pointed out. Asante sighed.

"Oh, one more thing." He added. Asante perked up.

"Hmm?"

"That Lion Cub. The supposed Prince. Kiava. He was looking for you earlier. He said that if you were to reappear, he'd waiting for you. He wants to talk with you alone about something or other. I got the impression it was to do with your... gifts... but who knows? The Cub is waiting for about half a mile away, down Skeleton Canyon." He said. Asante nodded. This was better they she had hoped. Skeleton Canyon was secluded, and has practically a valley or gorge, considering the gradient of the sides. The Hyenas regularly ran prey down its length into the clutches of awaiting accomplices. It was the best place for an ambush possibly.

"Kiava is alone is he?" She asked, cautiously.

"Yeah. Well... That girl might be with him... Zari? Zuri I think her name was. And maybe those monkeys of his. But yeah. I think he wanted to talk strategy or something. You know the Matriarchs are seriously considering an alliance with them?" He asked her. She nodded thoughtfully.

"What do you think of that?" She probed. Bhagari scratched his head.

"Well... I don't know... Its not without its precedent... but ir ended badly last time... I guess if there was a full pride to ally with I might think it was wise... but what's the point in allying with a pair of kids? He's likeable enough, for a lion, but really? What does he have to offer the Clan? Nothing as far as I can see...  
But as I said. Its not my place to judge the matriarch or her mate." He finished. Asante nodded.

"Nice work my friend... You'd better get some rest. I had better go find his royal highness..." She said.

A few mere moments later, she had located Amun. And his battalions of Wilddogs. They had kept ahead of the wind, and the Hyena's were blissfully unaware of their presence, which was a relief. She would have been loath to kill a scout who had stumbled across them. She relayed to Amun all she had witnessed, and revealed Kiava's location. Amun chuckled.

"_**Oh dear oh dear... I had hoped the Prince would have been smarter than this. Oh well. I guess that is the way things go sometimes. You – bring up the rear of the Dogs. I don't plan on attacking the Hyenas today, or any other day fi this works out, so keep yourself low. We'll go to this Kiava with all of our force, and stamp out two rebellions in a single swoop. Rejoice, beasts who follow the Shai'tan. You will be known as heroes by the time this is over, and rewards accordingly!" **_He said. He turned to Asante.

"_**If I were you, I would take this opportunity to find your trusted warriors and prepare to take command of the Hyenas. After I have captured the Prince we can return to Golgorath. The Emperor will want to verify you are trustworthy... But I have heard rumours that Castella has arrived in Golgorath... If that is true, then the Shai'tan will be scattered across the remaining borders of the Imperium and the conquest will continue. That was the pattern when Oceaniaica fell... I suspect she may be installed as overlord of the surrounding lands... In that is the case, I should not be surprised if the Emperor began picking regents from the loyalists. You might even end up in control of more territory then you bargained for. Either way, you will receive recognition for your service, and take your seat as Queen of the Shadowlands...**_" the Shai'tansaid. Asante bowed.

"By Your Command." She said simply. And with that, she left the company of the Shai'tan and the wilddogs and disappeared over the shadowy wastelands.

The Shai'tan watched her leave. She would make a fine ally in the wars to come...

Then, turning his attention his troops, he growled softly.

"_**Let us go from here then..."**_

And with that, they made their way to the Canyon where – though he knew it not – Kiava awaited them. Amun licked his lips in anticipation. This day, he would capture or Kill Kiava, and with that, become the most favoured of all of the Shai'tan.

* * *

Kiava paced up and down. Asante was taking too long. She should have been there by now. Was it possible that he had made a terrible mistake? That something had happened to Asante?

Even as the though occurred to him, he became aware of a presence behind him. Turning, he beheld what was even now a terrible sight. Amun filled the air with a stick of decay, but worse than that was the icy air of one who knew he was powerful. He took a step back, his eyes widening, as Amun gave a smirk. Behind him, and flanking him, were dozens and dozens of Wilddogs. Almost the entirety of Amun's Army was there... He gulped. It was too soon... Too Soon. Zuri gave him a look of panic, but then without stopping a moment long, her exited the encalve where he had been waiting, and emerged, moving in to the centre of the valley, and into plain view of the Shai'tan.

"AMUN!" He called. The Shai'tan heard, and gave a laugh as he approached.

"_**Kiava!" **_the Shai'tan said, grinning.

"_**I was beginning to think you had ran away again to let others do the dying... yet here you are... I am reliably informed."**_ Amun said. With a motion, the other wilddogs shrank back, and Amun approached the young lion. Amun looked him up and down. It had been well over eighteen months since the attack upon Pride Rock, and the cub was nearing adolescence... The faint shapes of muscles were growing around his body, and the barest ghost of a mane beginning to form from the cubs fringe around the back of his head... But he was not a King yet. Not even a warrior. That didn't stop the Cub from glaring back at him, and assuming what he recognised with another smirk as a defensive stance. The Shai'tan laughed.

"_**Hail King Kiava... Why so hostile? Just because we are enemies doesn't mean we can't be civil?" **_He said, but his voice was mocking. He was taking pleasure in the moment. Kiava's eyes narrowed.

"You've come to these lands and murdered hundreds of innocent animals. Why should I be Civil?" The cub said. He seemed scared, but not as scared as he should have been.

_**"Well, it delays your death somewhat, that's a reason. But in fairness, we took the Pridelands with less than a dozen killings. I' would say it was a fairly bloodless revolution... One thing I'll say for your family, they are some of the fastest die-ers I have ever seen..." The Shai'tan said.**_

"I was referring to the Hyenas you've butchered actually..." He said, with a growl.

_**"Don't tell me you care for the miserable rats... They're Hyenas. Innocent is relative... Besides, it was one of them who sold you out!"**_ Amun smirked. Kiava's eyes narrowed even further.

"Ah... but of course. I was forgetting... You are a Shai'tan... Everything that is beneath you deserves to die, isn't that right? There I was, thinking I was dealing with an Honourable Warlord, I kept forgetting I was dealing with a psychopath..."

_**"Did you not hear what I just said? Besides, who are you be so high and mighty?"**_ Amun drawled. **_"After all, you have to stand on something – even if it is just rock and dust. No need to demand we respect the pebbles, is there? The way of things, is that everything has its place, and some things are beneath you. You are hardly the bottom of the food chain, after all." _**Then he laughed. "_**You are the **_**King****_ – ahem. Sorry... _were_ the King. You practically lived atop the backs of the lesser species. Its the way of the world... The circle of life. Now the sun has set on your time, as it has set on the world of the Lion Kings. Nothing lasts, and your world is the same."_** He said. Kiava growled.

"Then I'll create a new one! There is nothing that I would not do, so see my kingdom and its people safe once more! If such a world doesn't exist anymore-" the Prince began but Amun's laughter cut him off.

"_**You'll do what? Do tell me..." **_He said. At Kiava's pause, Amun gave a cruel smile.

_** "You are nothing. Just a cub. I think that is enough entertainment for one day. It has been an engaging talk, Kiava, but talking won't save you. Take him." **_He ordered the wilddogs, who lunged at Kiava. Kiava's eyes flashed, and in a split second, claws appeared and sliced into the dogs flanks. They screamed in pain, and Kiava laughed.

"Talking might not save us – but stalling is another matter entirely. Now, Zuri!"

* * *

And in a second, Amun panicked. Behind Kiava, out of sight of the wilddogs and the Shai'tan, Zuri, Shenzi, and Bruce laid into the rock work around the tunnel of stone in which they lay in wait. Zuri's ears perked at the moment Kiava gave the signal.

"Do it now!" She shouted.

* * *

All throughout Kiava's conversation, they had been waiting for his signal, as the other Wilddogs came in together behind him. Soon enough, everything was in place.

It had been Kiava's idea.

Like many rocky terrains in the world, the shadowlands were home to a vast network of underground streams and rivers. A larger, more open network connected Golgorath to the Great River through such a system. The difference in the Shadowlands, was the presence of a second phenomena. The seismic instability of the shadowlands was a well known. Everyone knew that the geysers could provoke groundquakes rock-slides and violent emissions of superheated vapour. The smoke and heat would periodically burst around their feet, at one or the other of the visible spots, which, until activation, looked like innocent potholes. Eventually, where heat and pressure became to intense they would practically explode.

Before, and during Kiava's conversation with Amun, Zuri, Bruce and Ookai (with the professional expertise provided by Buzz,) had been busily at work, filling in the geysers with rubble. Bones, boulders, rocks and dust, packed tightly together. It was nerve wrecking work. They had to desperately hope that the "Birdy Boilers" would not combust while they were inside them. There was also the ever present risk that Amun would become aware of their presence or their scheme.

Kiava (naturally) had taken the biggest risk of course. When it had become apparent that Amun was approaching fast, and would need delaying, Kiava had been forced to improvise. He had left the relative safety of the tunnels that ran parallel to Skelaton Canyon, and confronted Amun. Such a course of action had been unplanned and undiscussed, and it was all that Zuri could do to avoid crying out in shear terror as Kiava stood, face to face, with one of the monsters who had murdered their homeland. At Ookai's urging however, they had used the distraction in order to finish their work. Soon, every entrance was sealed, every gyser was closed up, trapping the gases and vapours below the surface of the ground.

And now, when Kiava shouted out "Now, Zuri!", the final pieces of puzzle fell in to place. Next to her, the other two members of their conspiracy, Asante, and Shenzi, grinned. Shenzi nodded at her daughter, who smiled at Zuri.

"Lets hope Kiava's plan works. Amun was giving me the creeps..." She said. And with that, the Hyena's eyes flashed an ethereal white. Blasts of light shot forth into the geyser, and almost at once, a faint rumbling could be heard.

She could feel the whirling vortexes of energy below the surface of the ground, the energy in its movement and its heat. And she fed it. She poured in as much additional energy as she could. Light flowed from her into the ground, stirring the power below, making it thicker, making it faster. She could feel it boiling below. Feel the earth's groans and howls as the geysers bubbled and frothed, swelling with additional power.  
And it couldn't escape. Its usual geysers, born naturally over many years, were sealed and closed, and as the gasses tried to find their way out, its volume increased as its temperature rose, its pressure fluctuated.

And still it couldn't escape, still it couldn't flee. It bubbled and grew, until it screamed, pressing against the sides of its containment.  
F0r a moment, Asante wondered if the blockages they had arranged would hold fast. But hold they did.

* * *

Below them, in the valley, the ground began to quake. Amun stumbled.

"_**What is this?!"**_He asked in fright. As Kiava turned to run, Amun leaped forwards and seized the Cub in its great claws. "**_What is going on? Are you responsible for this? But how? How could you control..."_ **But he was cut of by sudden realisation. The Hyena Shaman. The only reason he had ever listened to her in the first place, was because of the thought that perhaps, he could negotiate a settlement which left him allied with his own Shaman. Even Mortread or Asamode, who both considered themselves Ben-Kai-Ra's chief lieutenant would be unable to compete with that! But he had miscalculated. He had... Failed. He had assumed the legitimacy of Asante's claims, on the basis, that one who didn't genuinely wish to defect would gain nothing but death from their meeting...

But only a Shaman could have produced such a reaction... Which meant.

It hid him slowly. He wasn't used to confronting his inefficiencies. Asante must have deceived him. Only pretended to defect to his side. And all to lead him here? But what could be gained from luring him and his army to a canyon?

The answer was found a moment later, when with a might cataclysmic "BANG" the side of one the valleys exploded. Four dozens Gysers, redirected inwards, then triggered with explosive force with a little _push_ from a Shamanistic Hyena. The resulting explosion fractured the side of the canyon, sending rubble, boulders, ivory, shrapnel ad howling first hurtling down the the sides of the canyon to them. Enclosed as they were, they could only run in one direction. And it was gaining fast.

His attention was diverted by a searing pain in his forearm. Kiava had whirled and struck out at Amun's unprotected flank. He had slashed at the back of his forearm, and ripped away a chunk of Amun's flesh, before hurtling away.

Almost instantly, the wilddogs behind had the same idea and ran. And soon enough he had joined. _It was the perfect place for an ambush, _he reflected. _Except the predator is a landslide... and the Shai'tan prey. For the first time in years, a Shai'tan had become prey. _He ran, but Kiava's attack had left his paw bleeding. It was a minor wound, and in a fight would have caused little, but it _did _ prevent him from sprinting to the best of his ability. It was infuriating. A quick look behind him told him what he didn't want to see. The landslide showed no signs of slowing.

Far above them, Asante, clapped a paw onto Zuri's back.

"Its working! Look!" And even as she spoke, some of the slower dogs were engulfed in the rolling speeding stones and rocks. It wasn't a pleasant sight t see, and she was glad how the veil of dust and ash kicked up by the rock-slide and initial blast concealed the worst of the damage. She had no illusions how a the rolling rocks would form a meat grinder and pummel any and all within its deadly embrace. Zuri however, looked neither disgusted or pleased. She looked mortified.

"But Kiava is still down there! That wasn't part of the plan! The plan was that you would lure them here! We didn't expect to have to stall them any longer! Now Kiava is going to be caught in _that!" _She said, panicked. Shenzi's eyes looked wide. She had seen this before, long ago... It had been a stampede then, rather than rock-slide but even so.

"Asante, can you pull him out of that?!" She asked her daughter. Asante shook her head. She was too far away. And everyone was moving. And even if she could, she had spent much of her power triggering the blast to begin with. There was no shamanistic solution to this. Bruce looked frightened.

"Ookai..." he muttered, as they watched the Avalanche of rubble gain on Kiava and Amun. Well over half of the wilddogs had been engulfed into it now, and Amun and Kiava were at the head of the flight. The end of the rock-slide seemed to grow in intensity as it expanded, rather than slow, as more and more bodies were added to its pulsating mass. The monkey looked panicked.

"Kiava is going to be crushed!" He shouted. Asante sighed.

"He knows that..." She said.

* * *

Down below Amun was panting hard, as around him his forces were annihilated. How had everything spiraled out of control so fast? But that was a moot point. The Tiger-Lord howled in anger, and the anger made it easier to run. While many creatures used their fear to fuel their flight or fight instincts, the Shai'tan used anger. Anger wasn't that dissimilar to fear really. And it was easy to hate what frightened you. And now, whispering down the back of his neck was a new feeling. A feeling he hadn't felt in an age. As behind him, more and more of the rubble crept closer and closer. He even felt a spray of blood as directly behind him another wilddog was crushed. Still he ran.

As for Kiava, he had already past into the realm of intense fear. Not for the first time, he imagined Zuri cursing his recklessness and foolishness. In a panicked attempt to prevent Amun from proceeding any further down the canyon, and out of range of their trap, he had placed himself directly into its line of fire, and then commanded its use. Perhaps, in the years to come, people would applaud his bravery and cunning. Privately he bemoaned what now seemed like a fit of madness. _Why _would anyone sane king or general do _this?_

* * *

He couldn't dwell on it. Another quick glance behind him, told him that the rock-slide was gaining fast. It was swelling and pulsing with more and more rubble, almost like a living organism, enveloping and mincing all in its path.

"_This was a bad idea!" _He shouted, urging his body to go faster. He needed to outrun it. He needed to survive it. But he knew, really, that there was no outrunning it. He had planned for it to be impossible to escape from. That was why he had used it. Why he had ordered Asante to lure Amun here, along with most of his forces, lured him into overconfidence and arrogance and then, stamped it out with a single brutal stroke.

Zuri would have thought of something. She would have found a way out. She would have discovered a loophole, seen something he had missed. Knowing her, she might even have been able to escape on pure resilience alone. He wondered if he had made a poor decision when she had attempt to take his place. But no. He could not have asked her to risk her life like this.  
Amun howled as he felt the vibrations behind him. It was gaining fast now. The avalanche was kicking up so much dust and ash it was impossible to see. Difficult to see ahead of them any measurable distance. Behind them, the perch where he knew Zuri and the others waited faded out of view. It was mere moments away now.

Amun screamed.

* * *

Watching them, Zuri and the others took a gasp as Kiava was hidden from view by the dustcloud.

And then vanished from sight. She heard the roars and screams as the last of the wilddogs were crushed by the rolling boulders. She heard a howl of unimaginable anguish as Amun too was engulfed.

Then there was nothing but the roaring, primal sounds of the rolling rocks. And then, that too began to fade. Finally, almost as if it knew there was nothing left to consume, the rockslide slowed. Its ferocity dimmed.

"Come on!" She shouted. Zuri, Shenzi, Asante, and the apes ran down the side of cliff. Stumbling and rolling as they did in their haste to get there. The air spelt of dust and blood and it made them gaga and cough.

The rock-slide came to a halt and then their was silence. Zuri jumped over another pile of rocks, reaching the final slew of boulders, her eyes wide with panic.

"Kiava!" She shouted. It was a pitiful cry, desperate and barely held together. It wobbled slight.

"Kiava!" Ookai shouted, sounding shocked and frighted.

"Kiava!" Shenzi and Asante called, one after the other. The cub had been right, the cub had achieved the impossible... but... at such a price?

"Kiava!" Zuri shouted again, searching for anything, any sound that might indicate his survival. There was no response.

"Kiava..." Zuri whispered a third and final time, looking around the devastation.

"Relax Zuri. I am still here." Kiava's voice came back slowly. And was followed by a wheezing coughing. The dust still clung to the air, the the relief in the atmosphere couldn't have been more intense. Ookai sighed, wistfully, and the hyenas, somewhat predictably, broke out into relieved laughter. Zuri however, practically leapt for joy. Kiava looked down at them from a small outcrop on the valley sides. Around it were deep clawmarks, where a young cub had clawed his way up the side of the valley to reach it. There was a deep cut on the side of his head, where a boulder had struck it, and it was bleeding, but even so, he smiled.

"KIAVA!" She shouted, and ran up to him, scrambling over the rocks, clawing her way up him. He lowered a paw, and gripped hold of her forearm and hauled her up, where they both lay there panting.

Now that Shenzi saw her join him, she could see how Kiava had, in those very last moments, leapt ahead of the avalanche and clawed his way up the side of the cliff, as his great-grandfather had attempted to do all those years ago. He had barely made a few feet into the air but it had been enough to escape the full front of the avalanche, and it had sheltered him from its intensity. She laughed again.

"You... _Climbed_ out of the way!" She protested, laughing, half in amusement and half in relief.

Kiava smiled.

"Just something a friend taught me. When running away failed, I decided to start 'strategising' instead. Isn't that what you called it, Zuri? Its not that different from climbing a tree in the middle of a fight!" He said. At this, Buzz collapsed into laughter, and remembered the occasion in the middle of Kiava''s training where Zuri's unorthodox tactic had once the fight – though lost them their lunch.

"And 'Fina said _that way of fighting won't help you retake the Pridelands!" _He laughed. Zuri smiled, and rubbed herself against Kiava's side.

"I am glad you are alright..." She said, looking relieved. She had been so scared. Kiava and Zuri jumped back down. Now that the dust was settling, he could see the scale of the destruction around them. He looked at the mangled bodies grimly, and turned to Shenzi and Asante.

"See if any of them are still alive... End their suffering as quickly as you can. I think we can afford them that mercy." He told them. The two Hyena's nodded, and began their investigation into the corpses of the Shai'tan's army of wilddogs. Wholes packs had been obliterated in Kiava's scheme. Jackals and wilddogs lay crushed and managed, limbs twisted and bone shattered. Several had suffered entire amputations from the crushing mass of rock. He shook his head. It was disgusting. Almost cowardly. And yet, the only reason he didn't have the forces to fight them beast-to-beast was because of the deception the Shai'tan had used to crush his own Kingdom. He would make use of whatever he had to, if it would lead to a free Kingdom, and that included traps, deceptions and ambushes. He felt his stomach protesting at the sight of it, but he forced himself to remain calm, and willed his stomach to keep its contents. If this was going to win him the allegiance of the Hyena's he would not sully it by showing a weak stomach.

_***Cough* **_A loud noise could be beard nearby. The beasts quickly followed the sound to its source, where they found the mangled remains of the Shai'tan. Amun. And he was still breathing. Bloodied, broken, bones shattered and limbs twisted into ugly positions, the Tiger-Lord still glared at them with hateful eyes. He tried to move, but spasms of pain shook through him, causing to roar in pain. Kiava moved over to, placing himself between Zuri and the monster, but the Shai'tan shook his head. He knew defeat when he saw, and unlike many of his companions, he chose to face his impending death with dignity.

"_**So, Lion King, I appear to have underestimated you. My loss..." **_He muttered, groaning, and wheezing heavily. He coughed again, and vomited a pool of blood. Ookai stepped back disgusted, and Kiava only stared at him. Zuri glanced at her friend, and was unsurprised to see the hardness in his eyes. There was a coldness to him, now he beheld his hated enemy.

"Of course you did. You always have underestimated everything that isn't you." He said. Amun smiled.

"_**No. I overestimated myself. Well played, King Kiava." **_He said, bowing his head in defeat. "**_I assume that this marks the beginning of an Alliance between the Hyena Clan's, and the Pridelands?" _**He asked. Shenzi cocked her head.

"Yes." She said simply. There was nothing else to say to that. Amun laughed.

"_**Clever stunt with the Rockslide... Shamanic Magic? I didn't think that much power could be summoned without one of the Shaman's Rods. At least, that was the impression Marsade gave..." **_He said, softly, his brow furrowed.

"No. The power already there. We blocked the geysers in the tunnels. It triggered the rockslide." Buzz said. The meerkat looked smug. Amun started at it for a moment. Then he laughed.

"_**Outsmarted by a Lion Cub, a Hyena Pup and an Old Meerkat. How degrading." **_He mused. Kiava shrugged.

"As you said. You underestimated us." He didn't know what to feel. Smug? That felt wrong. But why should be feel sad for the death of a Shai'tan. In the end, he could only feel relief. Relief that he had fought a Shai'tan and came out the victor. Amun was less impressed.

"_**A fool's mistake. One that won't be repeated by the rest of my kind, Kiava. You won't survive against the rest of the Shai'tan. My Brethren are varied in their tactics and their skills. And the Emperor is Greater than any of us... If you think to replicate what you have done here against them, you will fail... You have no chance..." **_He said. Kiava looked around at the devastation, at the entire packs of dogs, ripped apart and killed by his planning. He smiled softly.

"I like my chances..." He said. Amun looked at him. Then he laughed.

"_**Maybe I am mistaken again, then. Perhaps you will succeed after all."**_

And with that, he coughed again. _**"Well fought, King Kiava. Permit me to ask that my foolishness, not be the cause of my death. Death by combat is preferable to death by stupidity – even at the paws of a Cub."**_ The Tiger asked.

Kiava shrugged. He had granted the same mercy to the wilddogs – albeit to the bare half dozen who hadn't been killed instantly. Looking calmer than he felt, he strode up to the Shai'tan, who nodded its thanks.

He hesitated only for the briefest of moments. But a quick look around him steeled his resolve. A quick look at the jackals and wilddogs around him, told him al he needed to know. His paws were already awash in blood. There was no justification for backing out now.

He nodded once as he leaned over.

Then, he cut out the Shai'tan's throat.

And with that, Amun of the Shai'tan, died.

* * *

With the deed done, Kiava resisted the urge to leap back as soon as he was finished, and simply grimaced. Buzz on the other-paw, looked aghast at the bloodied mess.

"C_arnivores..." _He muttered. "Who else could turn digging tunnels into a weapon of mass destruction?" He lamented, though clearly more out of personal nausea then any real moral ambiguity of the slaughter. Shenzi on the otherpaw, rounded on him.

A short while later, Bhagari, Banzai, and a couple of squads of other Hyena's arrived. They took in the scene a could not contain their excitement. Dozens of Wilddogs were dead, and cheifly among them, lay one of the Shai'tan. News of Amun's death spread quickly among the Hyenas, as did Kiava's victory over him. Eventually, Banzai, Asante and Shenzi stood infront of Kiava. Shenzi laughed.

"Well," She said. "Its not everyday I see a Lion Cub perform miracles." She said. Kiava smiled modestly.

"Hardly a miracle. It wouldn't have worked without Asante's deception of Amun... Or Your help, or Buzz's knowledge of tunnel work." He said. Shenzi shook her head.

"It very nearly fell apart, when He arrived too soon. You saved it all by confronting him, stalling him. You had no way to know he wouldn't just kill you where he stood – and even if he didn't, you had no way out, no chance of escape. That kind of bravery is rare in this world, Kiava, and rarer still amoung Hyenas." She looked around. "And while you may not consider this a compliment, I doubt even Scar could have thought of a better scheme." She said, honestly. Kiava shifted.

"Thank you." He muttered, unsure as to how he felt about that. Banzai nodded.

"We saw Abyss and the rest of the serpents fleeing east. There is still much work to be done, before we can turn our attention to the Pridelands. But you have earned an Ally here today, King Kiava. For better or worse, you have won the loyalty and service the Hyena Clans of Carrorscirr. And when word goes out of your defeat of Amun, I suspect other Clans may join us." Banzai said. Bhagari nodded.

"I never thought I would go to war, fighting side by side with a Lion. But... Having seen what you can do, having seen what you are capable of... the Shai'tan will tremble before the end. You have won this victory, today my friend." He said, offering a Paw to Kiava. Kiava took it and smiled.

"I hope the rest of the Hyenas share your view." He said. Shenzi laughed.

"There will always be dissidents, and always be fools. But if nothing else, Hyenas are a pragmatic species. They will see the chance of victory with you and they will leap upon it. Have no fear of that." She said. Kiava nodded.

"We should get some rest. Tomorrow, a fresh start. And we will need to think of a way to deal with Abyss and his snakes... as well as any surviving Jackals... I do not know if he will attempt to continue the fight, or to try to fight his way back to Golgorath. But without a Shaman to create Gateways, it is a long walk. Plenty of time to deal him." Kiava said seriously. Shenzi nodded.

"Of course, your majesty." She said, smiling in faint amusement as she said it. Kiava smirked as well, but didn't protest. Eventually, the Hyena's left, leaving Kiava and Zuri alone. Zuri turned to her friend and smiled.

"You were amazing out there today. Reckless, stupid, foolish, and amazing. Do you know that?" She said, smiling. Kiava grinned.

"The thought had occurred." He smiled. She swatted him playfully. Then licked his cheek.

"Congratulations, your majesty. You have just killed your first Shai'tan." She said. He smiled.

* * *

Watching them as he left, Buzz the meerkat gave a knowing snort. _Here we go again... _He thought to himself. They had _no _idea. But he could see it – as could anyone with a brain cell.

He move away, trying to find a secluded spot to rest. The Hyena's knew now that he wasn't a snack, but that didn't mean he was overly keen on sleeping next to them. They were useful, but they still gave him the creeps... And they _stank._

This thought was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Hyena, standing right in front of him. He reached for one of his javelin's, if only for the reassurance they provided, but he had left them by the main encampment. He licked his lips nervously.

"Can I help you, Shenzi?" he asked, cautiously.

"Alright, _**Buzz,**_" She said. "Now that that little mess is cleaned up, I want to know where you have been all of these months, since the Shai'tan killed everything in Pride Rock." She said, quietly. Buzz glared at the matriarch, as Asante joined her mother. She looked faintly bemused, but was also staring intently at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. Shenzi shrugged. "Don't play games with me, _meerkat_. I knew something about you seemed familiar. It wasn't _something I ate _like you tried to wish away. The speed at which you cottoned on to Kiava's plan was uncanny. You've used your digging skills against the Shai'tan's forces before, and against Hyena's, am I right?Not to mention that you immediately found your way through these tunnels, almost as if you have been here before. There is something familiar about you, and its not the stench. You hide it under all of those old wounds and scars, but after watching you fight alongside that Lion, you seemed right at home. And I can think of only one meerkat in the history of these lands who has ever fought alongside a King. Buzz isn't your real name, is it?" Shenzi said. Buzz looked away.

"Shenzi..." He said, but what he intended to say was unclear.

"Admit it. You're hiding something. I want to know why." She said. Buzz glared at her then sighed.

"_I hate, _Hyenas..." He muttered, in exasperation. Shenzi's eyes widened. The she laughed.

"I knew I recognised you!" She said. Asante looked at her in surprise.

"You know him? A Meerkat?!" She asked in surprise. Shenzi was only laughing.

"Know him! He Proposed to me once! How ya doing _Timon_?" She asked him. The old Meerkat, with hundred scars and old wounds glared at her. Buzz sighed.

"Please, don't remind me." Timon said. The Matriarch glared at him.

"Why do you hide your name? It strikes me as suspicious, especially as you travel with him now..."

"I use Buzz, because that is who I am now. Timon died under Pride Rock... along with his friends. All of them." He said. And as Shenzi stared at him, she relented.

"Fine. Keep your secrets from me. But at the very least, tell _Him. _Or-"

"Or what? Why does it matter to you?" Timon asked angrily. Shenzi growled.

"Simply put, _Timon _I don't trust anyone who hides their name and their selves from their own allies. It makes me think they have something to hide. That they saw or did something they would rather others didn't know, and that is seldom a good thing, is it? Tell him who you are, or I will. And then who will he trust?" And with that, She stalked away, and her daughter with her. Timon crawled to his feet, feeling shaken. He shook his head.

"_I hate, _Hyenas..." He muttered.

* * *

**AN:**

**Surprise...**

**The myth of a Battle taking place at Five Stones is actually a thread I planted _way _way back in Judgement. Taka ponders that Rafiki always denied such a thing had occurred. You might begin to guess why he says that... See? I have been laying these hints and threads since the very beginning. Sometimes I surprise myself.**

* * *

**That's a lot to digest, isn't it?**

**So Asante was on their side the whole time, after all!**

**She lured them into a trap, which Kiava masterminded.  
It is a combination of the historical Stampede, and his latest scheme, in collapsing the tunnel to escape earlier. I think it is a natural progression, and the way it is achieved seems natural, if I do say so myself. :D**

**I hope it wasn't too gruesome.**

* * *

**In addition to that, Kiava has KILLED one of the Shai'tan! This brings him into a select group, along with Danyal and Marsade, as "Slayers" who have successfully beaten, and killed a Shai'tan!**

**I also think it was done in a way that was surprising and quick, but not rushed (which is always the danger of plot twists like this).**

**He also escaped by using a tactic from way back in Book III, one that Zuri taught him. Remember her hiding up a tree? Lots of call backs to that. **

**But did you enjoy it? That is the main thing. He still has much work to do – Abyss and his brood of Vipers (Forgive the pun) are still around, so he can't go charging off into the Pridelands yet, but the cogs are in motion.**

**And speaking of cogs in motion, how many of you saw that Buzz was in reality, a battle-scarred Timon? That is another little twist I have been leaving hints around for. If you look at his mannerisms, his knowledge of the Hyena's, his fondness for "Crunchy" bugs, his familiarity with lionesses, even his friendship with Sarafina, there were plenty of hints. Obviously, Shenzi thinks that's pretty shady, and has called him out on it. Maybe its not outright treasonous, but she defiantly doesn't approve.**

**What do you think of that?**

**Anyway, I am back, and should be uploading semi-regularly now that exams are over. **

**Thank you for the many fantastic reviews in the latest chapter. I enjoyed reading them all.**

* * *

**In other news I have been starting going through "TV Tropes". That has absorbed a lot of my time. It would be great if one day, this series appeared there. I would be be up to chat with anyone who is an active member there, about setting something up for this series.**  
**I know there are a few Tropes here and there...**  
**Anyway.**

**That's all folks. I hope you all have had a great time. That is a large chapter to chew on, so I hope you enjoy it!**

**PS – This was a huge chapter, I would appreciate some feedback. How are things looking on the receiving end of this story?**


	7. Chapter 6 - King Danyal

"**Hello there!  
I bet you weren't expecting this again so soon! I meant what I said – I am going to get these regular again. **

**This chapter is quite large, mainly because it combines multiple plot threads, and focuses on Sara, Danyal and Castella-Ra. Because I looked at my parallel plot-threads (I sort my chapters by both number and by viewpoint character) and decided that there was not enough content to make it focus on one. However, as I explored a certain character's inner thoughts, this expanded, and so now I basically have 2.5 chapters fused together here... I hope that won't disadvantage you. **

**This also – as the name suggests features Danyal, doing his thing."**

* * *

**Chapter 6: King Danyal**

* * *

"Come on, lets go one more time." Vitani suggested calmly. The cubs nodded, and repeated their previous theatrics. The cubs were bowing to him. Keeping their friendly expressions and normal mannerisms, whilst also affording him the respect he deserved, (or rather, Vitani demanded) be shown to the king of the Pridelands. It was not going well. Inti had such an expression of concentration on his face, he seemed in another world. Sara seemed distracted, and kept looking away from Danyal, and Koron... Koron looked to disinterested in the entire proceedings that he barley acknowledged Danyal's presence. Only Calin seemed to be doing it right – but he was a leopard. They were noted for their formality, being one of the few feline species to maintain their own form of aristocracy. At least, before the Imperium had obliterated them. Vitani shook her head.

"No, no! Try to get it right." She said, but Danyal waved a paw.

"Forget it." He said quickly. Vitani glanced at him and sighed.

"Danyal, nobody will ever believe you are a King unless you act like, and unless people treat you like it." She tried to explain. Danyal had had enough though, and pointedly said so, earning him yet another disparaging glare from Vitani gave way. "Fine." She relented. If they were going to continue the charade of Danyal being the heir to the throne, it would not be in the general attitude of his supposed subjects.

It wasn't just the incredibility of seeing Inti bow to anyone that ruined the image for Danyal however. It was the simple fact that titles, formalities, niceties of any kind made him distinctly uncomfortable. He had never quite grasped the point of such actions in his cubhood – which had earned him a sharp word and glare on many occasions when he had first came to the Pridelands. The Son of some unknown rouge, and an Ex Pridelander – or had she been an Outlander? - who had departed the Pride to become a nomad. He had more in common with Koron than with Kiava, and the whole idea of people bowing to him was still ridiculous. To say nothing of the grand deception it now involved.

He shook his head.

"Calin, go find Rei and Ras. The Panthers. I will need to speak with them." He asked. Calin nodded, and ran off excitedly. The cub would do anything to be helpful, and for a leopard had embraced Pride life rather quickly. Koron stood up.

"I saw them earlier, by one of the stone outcrops. I'll go with you." he decided, and Calin, glad of the company, accepted. That left Danyal with the Twins, and Vitani. Vitani looked around as Inti pushed himself up.

"I had better go too. I need to speak to Forn. The gruff wilddog seemed a little out of sorts yesterday, I want to be sure no one is taking advantage of that." He said seriously, before leaving. Sara got up quickly, and mumbled a farewell, and something about going to check on the Shaman and Sunder, before leaving Vitani and Danyal alone. Danyal watched them go.

"They worry me. They are changed. Sara especially..." He said to Vitani. The Lioness looked at them go.

"At least they are happier now. I saw her laughing with Karina not too long ago" She told him. Danyal – who hadn't seen much of the cubs since their return, nodded gratefully at the welcomed news. Then he moaned.

"Oh... Karina. I promised I'd speak to both her and her sister _yesterday._.." He said. Vitani rolled her eyes.

"Good. You should start talking with the high profile individuals, within both the Asiatic Pride, and the Ex-Slaves. Start cementing your authority and their perception of you as a ruler, but do it with a personal touch. It wasn't long after the Outlanders rejoined the Pride that Kovu made the effort to speak with each member of the Pride privately, sooner or later. Well, those who would speak to him, at any rate. Just so that they _knew _him_. _Much was nearly lost because people only saw what they expected to see." She warned him. Danyal sighed, and her gaze softened. _"Look..._ I know this is hard for you and... I am proud of you for doing it. We all are... If there was ever a single doubt in my mind as to your place in this Pride, it is long gone." She admitted. Danyal paused for a moment, before nodding. He sighed.

"Is it childish to ask 'why me'?" He asked lightly. Vitani gave a soft smile.

"Not at all. Why_ you_? Why _any_ of us, Danyal? Why did the Shai'tan come here? Why did they destroy our homes and kill our friends and our families? There is no answer to the question _why._.. There never is." She said.

Danyal paused yet again, taking another look at the lioness next to him. He knew all them well by now. Almasi, the mother, the one who cared – about her cubs, about him, about everyone. Damu was the pragmatist, and the pillar of strength for all of them. Nothing could faze her. Nothing could shake her. Even knowing that her daughter was lost in the fog of war, she maintained trust and confidence in her daughter, although the worry must have been killing her, never had she once concerned the others with her thoughts... Only Vitani remained a mystery to him... Sister to a Great King, daughter to a Devil-Queen. She was the sum of her parents, all four of them. Compassionate, Loyal, Cunning and Powerful, all in one. Even so he was grateful for her praise. She would never be a mother figure to him, but she remained his leader, even as he wore a false crown. He nodded softly.

"Thank you Vitani... What more would you have of me today?" He asked her.

"With Harten's death, the Asiatic lioness _Ujana, _has stepped up as the leader of the Asiatics huntresses. Do you know her?" She asked him. Danyal nodded.

"Not very well, but I know her name and face. Took forever to stop calling _Slayer_. She is nice." He said. Vitani sighed.

"What is she like as a _leader_, Danyal? Can she handle the responsibility by herself?" She asked him. Danyal thought for a moment.

"I am not sure I get a say in it... Even as _king _my authority doesn't extend to another's Kingdom. As it happens, I do think she is a capable huntress, no worse than any of the others as far as I can see. Most of the capable leaders, including Sundar's aunts and mother were killed by Ben-Kai-Ra, before he seized the Imperial Throne. Looking back, he killed many of the mighty who might have challenged his rule." Danyal said. Vitani relaxed.

"Well, you should make time to speak to her as well, when you can. We want cooperation between the Prides to be at its peak, before we commit ourselves to a protracted conflict against the Shai'tan. Which reminds me... I have been thinking. We need to do what we can to expand our influence."

"By which you mean..."

"Danyal. If the Emperor chose to commit every single one of his minions against us in our present state, assuming he could find us, we will be annihilated. Yet if we are not taken as a serious threat, we cannot hope to attract the attentions of those who oppose the Shai'tan. We need more allies, Danyal. We need more fighters. You need more subjects." She said. Danyal stopped. The magnitude of what she had said, willingly lost in the puzzle, and the realisation that they were as lost to day as they had been when Pride Rock Fell.

"Then we need a symbolic victory. Something to impress Pridelanders everywhere, without seriously inconveniencing the Shai'tan. Did you have a target in mind?" He asked Vitani. Vitani shrugged.

"I... will think of something." She said at length.

"What are your ideas?" He pressed.

"Well... I don't think we need worry about that now-"

"Vitani!" Danyal said sharply. She glared at him. Regardless of her kind words earlier, she wasn't used to being spoken to in that manner by a youth half her age, with delusions of heroics and grandeur. Danyal was not deterred though, and looked irritated with her.

"Do not dare involve in one paw, then shut me out with the other! I do hope that you did not imagine that was going to be a purely ceremonial position, Vitani, because otherwise you are going to be disappointed. I undertook this role in order to save lives, not play games, so be straight with me, and tell me what you are planning. I have a right." He said, his eyes flashing with a faint anger that reminded her of Kovu chastening Sabini, all those months ago. Defeated, she nodded.

"I don't have anything yet. But a start might be if I... I _you _lead hunts into the heart of Prideland territory. Make our presence known." She told him eventually. Danyal nodded.

"Very well." before he could finish, he was detracted by a prodding on his lower leg (The one not covered in scars). Calin had returned, and next to him, were to the two panther siblings as requested.

"Sire..." They said together, in a way twins often do, though he had heard it said that they were not true twins, merely close siblings. "That will be all Vitani." he said. Vitani bit her tongue, and nodded.

"Your will, _Kiava_." And left. Danyal turned to Ras and Rei. Like all of the former slaves, they were well built, for their youth. He estimated they were slightly younger than himself, though being Panthers, they could not hope to match him physically, even together. The Pathers looked ill at ease, but he smiled, in what he hoped was a warm and friendly manner.

"My Lord... We were summoned?" Rei asked, cautiously. Danyal sighed. Were they so easily intimidated by him? They hadn't seemed to care for him when he was the nameless lion who had stumbled across them in the desert, or when he was the scarred fighter, left at the rear to defend Sundar...

"Ah. Good. Tell me, are you familiar with the Pridelands? I know that there are citizens from all across the Imperium." The Panthers nodded.

"We were born to the south here... But we are familiar with your northerner's history." At Danyal's blank look, they elaborated. "The Southlands fell mere days before the Pridelands... King Malka and his wife, the Lady Kula, tried to send a message to warn the Pridelands... I think his name was Chumvi... Either way, it never arrived... All three of them were captured executed together, by Leviath, the Tigress. She did not want the responsibility of governing the resulting territory, likely out of fear she would lose land to her brother if she departed her kingdom of the western continent. So she executed the royal family _after _they surrendered, handed the surviving lionesses over to _Asamode _and massacred dozens of other creatures who weren't quick enough to escape... Then they issued the ultimatum to surrender or die to the animals that remained."

"I assume your parents were among the panthers that didn't Surrender?" Danyal asked. Rei laughed at that. It was cold, and yet oddly resentful.

"Hell no! My _mother _if you can call her that, gave in to the Shai'tan at the faintest sniff of how the wind was blowing. Our Father, joined when she defected, betraying a dozen animals in the process. As prove of our mother's loyalty, she was then ordered to kill one of her cubs. She tore a chunk out of Sash's ear without another word and my father didn't even blink. I bit into her throat for that, and let her drown on her own blood."

"You did what!?" Danyal asked in horror. Ras grinned. It wasn't bloodthirty, but there was a defiant look in her, as if challenging him to fault his sister's actions.

"She got there first she means. Others stood and _died _alongwith King Malka.I expected the Shai'tan to kill us for it – but what the hell?! We were dead anyway at that point, right? And I was not about to let my own mother walk free as well!"

"How did you end up in the slave-pits?" Danyal asked quietly. Ras snorted.

"The Shai'tan _worship strength._ They consider it a sign of purity – and cold blooded murder is the highest form of that purity. An honest fight might earn you a quick death, but matricide? Rish'ut was entranced. He preferred watching pain to an elegant tigress. He only spared us because he thought we might be good sport in the arena... and perhaps he simply wanted to do something unexpected without being told of by anyone. He was the top cat by that point. No one questioned his orders so when Rish'ut and Leviath left the next day via a Gateway, we were dragged along for the ride. My father joined one of the Imperium's Legions and died in the frozen wastes to the north for all I care." He finished. Danyal was very quiet.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories..." He said. Ras shrugged.

"What's to forgive, Kiava? You weren't to know. Its not everyday your family turns out to be selfish, treacherous, hypocritical murderers." He said, seemingly wholly unaffected by the whole ordeal, betraying on the faintest glint of... what? Regret? Pity?

"Now, Sire, what was it you wanted to ask of us?" Rei asked him, returning the conversation to his original intent.

"...I... wanted to know if you were familiar with the territory." Danyal said, doing the same. Ras nodded.

"Oh, we know the land. Just because we were born in the Southlands, doesn't mean we never visited. Panthers are basically black Leopards – and we have moved with the herds a few times. Not that the Leopard Tribes were ever happy about _that_. Ras said, offering Calin a friendly smile. The Leopard had remained silent throughout, but now looked indignant at the snub.

"Hey! No fair! Everyone objects to new families barging in and stealing their food! Ask anyone who's met a hyena!" Calin protested. Rei ruffled the leopard's tuft.

"I was just teasing you – hey! Did you call me a Hyena!" The Panther asked. Calin squeaked, and dived behind Danyal, who pinned him to the ground with his rear foot, and (with the cub out of the way) cleared his throat. Ras blinked.

"Umm. Apologies, King Kiava." He said. Danyal smiled nevertheless.

"Good. The Pride isn't certain of its strength yet. We know that the Great River forms the northern border of the Pridelands – and that it diverges at three points. Once, to the west, forming the Zuberi River, which splits the Pridelands in two, once north of here, at Trinities Point, where its separates the Outlands, the Shadowlands, and the Pridelands, and a third time. It continues towards us, into the Swamplands, and also splits to the south, forming the Zulu River, at the Zulu Falls." Danyal explained. The Landmarks had be burnt into his head, not from their geographical properties, but by the stories that seemed to be associated with each of them (a fact that, Zazu, much to his chagrin, had learnt from none other than Danyal late in his life – far after the necessity to bore to death any Royal cubs had been required.)

"We know the rivers..." Ras said, for they had walked by them many times before the day of the Shai'tan's conquest.

"I need to know if there are _any _Shai'tan spies between us, and the Zulu. This area was sparsely populated even before the Imperium. Birds can't fly near Five-Stones without losing their sense of direction, and the rocky terrain south of the Shadowlands and around the Zulu falls, means that the herds don't graze her much. Clearly not many animals would graze in the area."

"So you want to know that there is no one skulking around that shouldn't be?" Rei guessed. Danyal nodded.

"We need to know here our safety ends and where the power of the Shai'tan reigns. Inti said that you were the stealthiest of all us." he said carefully. Ras smiled at that, and Rei blushed.

"I...Thank You, your majesty." She said. Danyal nodded.

"Just scout around, see what signs you can pick up. Keep us up to date with the Shai'tan's movements. If they get a with of where we are, I want Sundar rested and ready to jump us to another safe area before they even spot us. From now on, we fight them on our own terms." Danyal said.

"Consider it done." Ras told him.

"We won't let you down Sir." Rei added. Danyal smiled.

"I don't doubt you. And, Rei? Ras... I know that your last family turned out to be a disappointment... But _this _family will never abandon you. We are all one Pride now." Danyal said. Rei smiled gratefully.

"Thank you my King. And If I may say so? I think the kingdom is lucky to have such a promising king in its future – at least, in the humble opinion on an enslaved, foreign, panther cub." She said.

And with that the two panthers left to begin their own mission for the sake of the Pride. Danyal sighed when they left. He hadn't wanted to send anyone into danger, but Vitani had made one thing very clear – the time where he could recklessly risk himself was now over. Now was the time when he would risk others for his sake.

"Ugh... Your majesty?" A voice said from down below. Danyal started.

"Yes?" He asked, looking around.

"Can I get up now, if I promise to stop getting in the way?" Calin asked, sheepishly.

* * *

"Carefully, Sundar, you need to fan the flames. Let it breath! Let it grow or it will whittle and die..." Yessen warned. Sundar sat in between the two Shaman, the thornwood staff lying in front of her, with both claws held tightly around it. Directly in front of her, a single tongue of flame hovered in the air before her. It was dim and small, but it was impressive to Sara who looked at it in amazement from a short distance away. She frowned, and relaxed her grip on the flame somewhat. Immediately it gathered in more of the air around it, and when she loosed her own source of energy, it fed hungrily growing in seconds. It flared brightly, and set a gust of warm air around them. It surprised Sundar so much that she flinched and tightened her grip suddenly. The flames sparked and then disappeared.

She opened her eyes, just as the red light was leaving them, shaking her head.

"I can't do it. I can't relax. I am to frightened I'll lose control and hurt someone..." She said. Yessen nodded in understanding.

"I see... Fire is a wild and unpredictable element. Much of magic feeds on your emotions, and emotions like fear and anxiety weaken and stifle its power. It is its nature to burst forth and shine. Radiating light and heat, proginating ash, smoke and steam. Flame is like a living thing, one that resents imprisonment or restraint." He explained. "Marsade fueled it with his anger and his hatred and his undying wrath." He continued. Taking up the staff, a flare of light began to grow, cinders flared back into life, his gaze flashing and then, with a gesture, contorting his figures, his concentration unwavering and unblinking, the same embers lifted and descended into new shapes and now patters. Those watching were breath-taken at its beauty – but in an instant it was replaced by savage hunger, devouring the grass and leafs. With a motion, Yessen dispelled the sorcery. His message was clear. Flame was difficult to control – not out of some complexity that could be mastered, but because its chaos and its madness was a part of its nature. Even as it was a part of Marsade's.

"The levels of control you trying to achieve with such careful tight coordination is more suited to one of the terrestrial elements. Earth and Air. They are rather similar in their interactions and their behaviours. To sides of the same coin. Forever touching, yet always apart – for who can separate the sky from the earth? Water is like fire, but unlike the terrestrial elements, it is fueled by emotion. It requires Passion. Rage, Anger, Hatred. Love."

"Love? Compared to the others..."

"Why so surprised? Love isn't that different to Hatred. The two are twins more than opposites... Even if you hate someone, you care enough to hate them." He pointed out.

"That is one way to look at it..." She said. Yessen smiled.

"Water is different to fire. It is embowered from your emotion but it not a slave to them and you cannot master it. It is not able to be bent to your will. Margane was the greatest of us in that respect. Her staff was the Rod of Water. She explained it to me once. Unlike the others, you are not trying to tame wild powers. You cannot break water. You cannot bend it to your will, or twist it to obey your soul. If you try, you will drown in its power. You have to ride it. Ride the tempest of emotion that will swell within you. Ride it like the crest of the wave, use your control to tame yourself, not the power. You become its vessel, not its master. And in that way, you can direct the power of the ocean, like a valley directs a river. Stand against the river, and you will be crushed in its power, but ride it, and it will carry you to safety, with greater speed than any beast can run!" He said. He was right. It was so alike the manipulation of flame, which was a beast to be mastered and tamed and bent to your will. She shut her eyes, imagining her power as a well. Slowly she released both rods, and stood there, holding within her only the power she could sense from within herself, she drew nothing through either Marsade's or Yessen's Rod.

"_**I can See." **_She said, as her eyes opened, revealing pools of startling electric blue light. Coils of blue mist swirled around her for a moment as she let go of the power, riding its might, slowing her breathing, and letting it flow through her, rather than at her feat. As she exhaled, the blue light intensified and the coils of mist relaxed and dispersed around her. Some animals scrambled out of the way as others stood transfixed as it passed through and around them. Then the power left her, and she sat down slowly.

"I couldn't hold it." She said calmly. Yessen looked curious, and pleased.

"You didn't faint, which I honestly expected you to do. In fact, you only seem a little breathless. Its not just your control over this gift you are improving... I sense your reserves are increasing."

"Perhaps it is like a muscle? It builds as it is used, so long as it isn't damaged, neglected or used to excess?" Sundar guessed.

"Halien speculated thast there was no real power inside us – just a muscle that only we possessed... We merely reordered energy already present in the universe. When we acquired the gift, we spent months experimenting."

"Acquired?" Sundar asked, and Yessen winced.

"You thought we were born with it?" He asked, though his expression gave away nothing.

"I was... I assumed..." Sundar paused._ How was a Shaman made?_

"The real question, is how you have gained this gift. How you did that, I do not understand."

"Maybe I got it the same way you did." Sundar guessed.

"We took up the Rods. They changed us. In many ways... _Many _different ways. I would rather not discuss that experience, if I may. As for your own powers, trust me. You'd know." He looked around. They had gathered quite a crowd of curious animals. "I think we should stop for now. We don't want you to press yourself." He said. At her expression, He smiled. "Don't be disheartened about it... I could never manage much in the way of an illusion, beyond changing a pebble's colour and to my knowledge, Marsade and Margane never once managed to get the grasp of Divination. Each shaman has their own unique skills... You'll find yours soon enough.

"Divination?"

"Yes, before I found Rafiki again, we tried to divine each other's movements with different forms of... well... divination." He said. When Sundar looked blank he sighed.

"Kind like... diving the future..."

"How?" Sundar asked, her mouth hanging open. He sighed, trying to think of how to explain it.

"This is the part when it all gets a bit mystical... When an event of significant import happens, it leaves a mark. It leaves echoes. These echoes can be felt, even through things that you wouldn't think would be sensitive to such things. The whisper of the wind... the shapes in a fire... scrying through water... the vibrations in a cave. The random placement of shapes, or bones or runes... In dreams and visions... Some events are so strong that they leave impressions in time itself... Echo's into the past can be received as dreams... However you sense them, they can be felt as echoes of the future... Premonitions. If you have one, you'll know. Its not something that can be taught, trust me on that." Yessen said. Sundar grinned.

"Okay... Can we try something else?" Sundar asked. Yessen shook his head.

"No more today... The source of your gift is still a total mystery to me, my young apprentice." He smiled, showing a great many teeth in a way that apes to. He said.

"We don't want to overexert your powers until we are sure of your limits..." He said, before rising and going in search of Rafiki. Sundar sighed.

* * *

"This must have been how Danyal felt when he was recovering – not able to continue, n one sure of your strength, being held back out of fear for your safety..." She moaned as she walked away. Sara stood up and walked next to her, and on hearing her comment, her ears perked.

"You were a big help to Danyal then, weren't you?" She asked her. Sundar blushed.

"Uh... yeah. I guess so. I... did what I could for his injuries. They were pretty severe..." She said. Sara looked at her.

"How severe?" She asked quietly. Sundar paused for a moment unsure of how to continue. The Young cub was certainly intelligent, and had of course been exposed to plenty of trauma over the months, but Sundar didn't want to push the girl with graphical descriptions of Danyal's mutilations. Even now the scarring was pretty intense, and had left his right side in ruins. His fur and flesh was discoloured and torn, jagged patches where the flesh had been sealed shut. There was still scabbing in many places, and sudden movement brought pain to him, though he hid it well...

"It was pretty excessive..." Sundar said. "You can see where the worst of the bleeding was... but what you didn't see was when the bone of his forearms was shattered in four places, or where she had ripped a chunk of flesh from his side. I think he had tried to rip his heart out of his chest." Sundar said, firmly, and refused to be more specific. Sara shuddered.

"I still can't believe Sekmet was that cruel... I am just glad Danyal managed to beat her." She said.

"Not surprised?" Sundar asked, as they moved away from the clearing. The Svaanah was expansive, but they stayed within sight of each other. The long grass had been flattened in the areas where many walked, and makeshift paths had began to form. Sara smirked at the question.

"How could I be? Danyal is the best fighter I have ever seen... Better than mother, or Damu, or Vitani." She said. Sundar paused. There was passion in Danyal, but that didn't equate to skill. But perhaps that was the answer? No one could hope to combat the Shai'tan with sheer force alone... Only by fighting for something _really _important could that be achieved...

"I thought you were very close friends with Danyal?" She said to her. Sara blinked.

"We are!" She protested.

"Its just... well... The only time you've interacted with him since the Battle of the Glade has been on _Pride _business. When was the last time you just... you know... had a chat with him?" She asked. Sara shook her head.

"Sundar, I have been far too busy, organising the Rebels, training them to work with the Pridelanders, and they're are sparring every evening. The groups don't trust each other fully yet -"

"You seem to have the time to watch me practice with Yessen..." Sundar pointed out.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Have you been avoiding him?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

"I know he worries-"

"ENOUGH!" And in a singular movement, Sara had unsheathed her claws and whirled around quick enough to swipe at Sundar's retreating head, clawing deep scratches into her face and causing Sundar to shout in pain and flinch away from the young cub. Sara glared at her, then her expression softened, as if realising what she had done. Angrily, and painfully struck out at an ally – a friend – and well over a year her senior.

"Kings... I am sorry Sundar!" She said, looking frightened now. Sundar took a breath, and then exhaled.

"Right." Sundar said. Sara was too big to be grabbed in her jaws, but she nudged the cub up and half pushed, half dragged her some distance away from the other animals, who were eyeing her curiously since her outburst. When they were safe from prying eyes, Sundar placed Sara directly in front of her and stared at the unnerved and anxious cub, holding her gaze until Sara looked away. She was flushing and looked nervous, clearly expecting some form of punishment from Sundar (the thought of which, she might have found entertaining were Sundar not so concerned for the young girl.)

"Sara – I am not your mother, and I am not about to discipline you for striking at me." She said, ignoring the throbbing scratch-marks, seeking instead to dispel that anxiety before anything else. "Something is bothering you, and it is about Danyal. Now, I know how close you _were_ and I want to know what is bothering you. You can't tell me his new... visage... frightens you, you are far to sensible and sensitive for that, so tell me; what is the problem. And more importantly; How can I help you." Sundar asked. Sara stared at the meddling adolescent defiantly for a full minute, before she wavered, and allowed herself to answer..

"I... Don't know what I would say to him." She admitted.

"'Hello' is a good start." Sundar suggested. Sara swatted at her again, but playfully this time.

"Its just... His scars..." She said. And suddenly Sundar understood. Of course. When had she turned into an adult and decided that children were incapable of complex emotions? It wasn't that his scars and damaged face frightened the girl. It was far worse than that.

"You feel guilty over it." She said. It wasn't a question. Sara quivered.

"No... Yes. Maybe a bit... Its just so... He was always so strong, always so... kind. He was the one who told us stories, and hunted for us... He taught Kiava to hunt. We were terrible, we used to get him into all sorts of trouble, but he never once complained about us... Looking back, it must have been hard for him. To want to go and fight the Shai'tan and end up just looking after the cubs while the other adults did the fighting and killing. He must have found it humiliating... I never thanked him for that. What if he had died, and I had never-" Sundar shushed her, and pulled her close, embracing the agitated cub. Perhaps another cub might have cried, but Inti and Sara didn't seem to _do _tears. It was a sign of weakness.

"Do you honestly think that Danyal would care about how others viewed him? Would care if they thought you something to be ashamed of? He cared about _you. _He cared about making sure you were safe. You shouldn't feel guilty that he nearly died for you. That was his and one he made willingly, because of what you meant to him. And he does mean a lot to you, doesn't he?" Sundar asked.

Sara became very quiet.

"I didn't know him that well before the Pride fell, you know. Oh, I knew a bit of him, and he babysat sometimes, but I never spoke to him about _him_. He looked after us sometimes, and we played around him, but not with him. Not many of the cubs did, that I recall. He was always a distance away... looking from afar. Before I was even born, he came to the Pride and his only family died. I don't know what deal she made with Kovu, because he stayed, and do you know who looked after him? My mother. But she didn't raise him. She wasn't able. He didn't want it – they say – he didn't need another mother. He wouldn't pretend to love someone, and didn't want to other to pretend they loved him. He was raised by the entire Pride and he became a legend among the cubs for it! He had no Mother – no naps, no baths, no bedtimes, no groundings, no _parents. And we were cruel enough to think that made him _**happier**_! We _envied_ him for that! The fact that no one – not even our own mother, was able to love him like her own Son!" _

"-that was hardly your-", but Sara wasn't finished.

"Other mothers would even shake their heads and warn their cubs not to pick up bad habits from the _rouge's_ cub. Because he talked back to whoever he wanted – even the King, on occasion. Kovu seemed to feel at least somewhat responsible for him, and tried to make him feel welcome, He acted and lived the life of a tolerated rouge. And I never once, _once, _asked him if that choice was made by him, or _for _him." She said. Sundar paused. Danyal had given vague impressions of his cubhood, she had been in his mind, briefly, and felt that childhood. She hadn't sensed anger, or regret, or pain in that... But there had been an overpowering sense of... loneliness. Such a lonely little cub. A craving, a need to belong.

"So you only met him after the Shai'tan came to these lands?" Sundar asked Sara. The cub froze, and Sundar wondered if she had made a mistake.

"The day the Shai'tan arrived... I remember it. As clear as day. I was so very young then... I had hardly began to talk – Kiava was practically a newborn – I doubt he recalls... But I remember it. The Smoke. The _Fire_. The Slaughter. I remember when death reigned. I remember Kiara being cut down. I remember the river, and the flight, and the raging waters, and salt and smoke and flame and I sure as hell remember Pride Rock's Fall! It _burned. I remember every beat of my heart!" _She shut her eyes, hearing them_ again. "And before that, _I remember the _screams _Sundar. Sheiksof unbearable agony, howls of despair and then silence as their life was ripped away from them! I remember being unable to run... I remember Vitani, and Damu and Mother leaving, with Kiava and Zuri and Inti... And I was left _alone..._ Alone in the flames, with the shadows dancing, and the demons roaring, just a child! I was there in the dark with _the Emperor Himself_ and I saw him standing over the King as he lay there bleeding, dying! _I looked upon the __**Seven**__, and the __**One**__ a_nd I stood alone against them. I looked into the gates of _Hell that day!_" Sara whispered. Sundar stood there, standing aghast at the words coming from the mouth of this child. "My own mother had left me and I felt abandoned, and all I could do was curl into a ball and scream and cry." She said, and her voice was distant and detached. There was a vacant expression to her eyes as she retold it. Sundar shivered. Then Sara stared at her, with an anger that seemed to be directed inwards.

"And then he was there. Out of the darkness. He carried me out of hell, and back to my mother, and I have never felt so happy, so _loved _in my life. I was given back to my mother and my brother. We survived... My family remained whole! No one – not even the King, could boast that! Out of all the Pridelands, out of all of the Rebel lands, out over every slave, rebel, pride and clan, no one, _no one _else that luxury, and it was thanks to _him. _The one lion among us who has _no one. _He came out of the dark, out of Hell, and he dragged me with him, where any sane creature would have ran!_" And now the tears came, for the first time._

"_So..."  
"So _of course he is important to me!" She snapped. "He is the one reason I feel safer _now_ than I did _before_ the Shai'tan came, if you could believe that that was possible. And he saved us again, when the wilddogs's attacked Rafiki's home. And _again_ when they tracked us to the Jungle... and a Final time, when he stood between us and Sekmet._ Every step of the way, he had been there pulling me up when I fell. And I couldn't be there when he needed _me."

Sundar looked at her and Sara glared back, her anger swimming through her with no one to vent it out at aside from herself.

"I don't feel guilty that he nearly died, Sundar. I feel guilty that he nearly died _alone!" _She finally burst. Sara was breathing heavily now, and she ground her teeth.

Sundar said nothing. What was there to say? So Sara continued.

"And Now, I can't bring myself to stand near him, because every moment, I see those Scars, and I see _see_ the pain he endured, and I have to live with the fact that he did for _me, and I did nothing for him!" _She said. Sundar froze.

"Sara. You can't cut yourself of from him. That isn't going to help you. He is as much a member of your family as Inti – Blood ties don't matter in this. He is a hero, and warrior, and more importantly, he is a good _lion_, Sara. He is willing to take upon himself immeasurable suffering to help others. Do you think that he regrets any of his actions? When he first awoke from his injuries, he couldn't move. But he managed to pull past it. Time, and healing, helped him, but ultimately it was himself that allowed him to move forward. You need to let yourself heal as well, Sara."

"I am not sick. Or Injured." Sara said hotly.

"Are you not? Vitani suffers nightmares. Karina limps, but she can't sleep unless her sister is with her. Sash hides his tears from his siblings so that they can sleep, and he flinches whenever someone motions with an unsheathed claw. Rafiki is haunted the spirits of _hundreds_, and Lukaan dreams of Harten and all those he failed to save. I don't know what happened to Forn, but he goes blank whenever someone mentions pack-mates, or clan-mates. _Ujana,_ will not go near a naked flame, and _Aisha _sees spiesand traitors at every you think all of their injuries were physical? Flesh heals, Sara. Flesh heals quickly, and the scars but mark the surface." Sundar said softly. Sara stared at her, then turned away.

"I don't know if mine can. I _hate them, _Sundar. I hate every single one of them and I hope that they die for what they have done!" She said honestly. What she didn't say aloud was the admission of how willing she would be to help ease their passing. Not just the Shai'tan, but every dog, cat and rodent that sides with them. She murdered Seba for his treachery when Vitani let him go and she would do it again.

"Then let me help you. If not me, then someone. Danyal." She said. Sara shivered.

"I..."

"Go to him. Speak to him. Say hi. _Play with him. _Spirits know you deserve the chance. Be there for each other. Don't punish yourself for the choices that others made, or for events beyond your control. We all carry too much with us. Don't carry the weight of your guilt as well." She said. Sara nodded slow. She exhaled, then turned to Sundar.

"Thank you..." The cub looked calmer now. Almost relieved. She sighed, and it was a very heavy sigh for such a small cub. "You know what, Sundar? You should keep at the Shaman thing. You are starting to nail the advice part of it. Sometimes you sound more than sensible but... wise." She said. Sundar rolled her eyes.

"Don't! I am far too young to become a crone." She said, but she smiled inwardly. Sara purred.

"Thank you... Sundar." She said, and left quickly.

Sundar watched her go, and was about to leave, before something caught her eye.

"Alright." She said. "You can come out." She didn't no whether to be surprised or not when Koron emerged form the nearby bushes. Sundar scowled at him.

"That was a private exchange." Sundar scolded him. Koron arched his eyebrows.

"I didn't listen in on much. I followed you both when she seemed upset, but then you took a while. I came to see what was up." He said.

"Sara? You came after her?" She asked. Koron sniffed.

"Of course. She is my... Friend." He said, the word sounding off in his mouth. Sundar smiled softly. Of course. There was another who's injuries were not wholly physical.

"She is traumatised. Traumatised, scared, and she feels powerless. She sees in Danyal everything that is the opposite of that, and she _needs _it, needs to see him keep going, because otherwise, she won't be able to keep going herself." Sundar said. Koron shrugged.

"Perhaps. I think you helped her. But what do I know about? I also looked upon the Gates of Hell, Sundar... But there was no angel to save me. I clawed my way out myself." He said, turning and walking away. Sundar watched him go. _Are we quite certain of that? _She asked herself.

* * *

Castella-Ra, was not accustomed to being nervous. Even so, the look Mortread was giving her now made her so. Not as much as lying to her father, but in a different way. She gulped. She never gulped.  
Mortread, youngest of the Shai'tan, eyed the Imperial Princess with a unreadable expression.

"_**Run that by me, just one more time." **_He said. She sighed. Then retold her conversation with the Emperor, word for word. Mortread sat down slowly. Then turned onto his side to face her.

"You don't sound too pleased..." She said. Mortread shook his head. The relationship that she had with her father was intangible to many, and many new wilddogs or jackals refused to accept the fact the Castella-Ra _was _his daughter until several weeks. If they were privy to that knowledge of course. There were all sorts of rumours. She was his daughter, his apprentice, his adopted child, his sister. Rumours that she was Mortread's friend (The only Tigress who wasn't a Shai'tan who was permitted to hold any standing among them...) Even his sister in several battalions – though not, he was pleased to note – in any that he commanded.

"_**I am just shocked you managed to lie to the Emperor's face, and he didn't realise. I can't think why you risk it."**_ He said quietly. The words were practically heresy.

"'_The Emperor' isn't a deity, _Mortread. Besides. How else are you going to win enough support for him respect you enough?_" _She said, as if reading his thoughts. Mortread snorted.

"_**That is your plan? You'd gamble our love on my capturing the Prince?"**_ Mortread said.

"No. I would gamble our mating ceremony on it. Nothing would make me give up what we already have."

"You try to trick him like that? Pretend that I am somehow-"

"I _Pretend nothing!" _She hissed, and Mortread was shocked._ "_I twisted the stuborn fool's arm so that he would open his eyes to whats really there. That does he value? Asamode – that snake? Or Rish'ut: that perverted, painloving fool?" She said.

Mortread was silent. She smiled at him.

"I deceive no one when I say that you are the greatest of them all. Noble, loyal and brave. Powerful, intelligent. What more could an Emperor want? What more could anyone want? I don't want some lecherous old pawn of my father – and I don't want to be sheltered away from harm as the rest of live lives on. I do not shy away from blood or battle or the cruel master of neccessity. I live like the rest of the Shai'tan: I take what I want, and what I _want _is for the Tiger I love to be exalted above all others, _as he deserves._" She purred. And Mortread purred at her praise, and felt guilty for his previous

"_**I don't mean to seem ungrateful. I just didn't want you to risk youself like that for me."**_

"Please. I told a white lie, its hardly high treason. You know as well as I do that he wouldn't hurt me. Not seriously at any rate. Besides, what is life without a little risk?" She asked.

"_**Long?"**_ Mortread couldn't resist saying. Castella swatting his across the back of the head.

"_Boreing."_ She told him. Castella paced across the dusted floor of one many of the Outlands towers. Only The Emperor inhabited Golgorath now, with the various Shai'tan picking out their own residences. Asamode had a tower nearby, which he lived in alone, though Mortread's was shared by many of his underlings. Whether out of pride, or paranoia Mortread didn't know. Castella purred. They were interrupted by a grunting sound, and Mortread sighed as Harrin entered the room. He looked at Castella quizzically, before bowing to the both of them.

"_My lord... My lady."_ He greeted them. Mortread nodded, and Castella smiled.

"Good evening Harrin. You agree don't you? That a little risk spices up life? Makes it more exotic?" They looked at him. Harrin looked pale.

"Please don't make me pick sides." He pleaded. Mortread laughed.

"_**There is your answer, Castella."**_ he said. Castella sighed._ Males._

"_Uhem. _My Lord, I have assembled the three best spies that we have. A vulture, a jackal and a wilddog, for diversity. They await you outside." He said. Mortread nodded.

"_**Its nice to have someone competant follow orders for a change, Harrin. No wonder Amun tried to take you off Rish'ut."**_ He said, as the dog turned to leave. He smiled.

"Thank you my lord. My lady." He said. As he left, Castella smiled.

"Sending out spies?" She asked. Mortread laughed.

"_**What? Did you think I would just wander the Pridelands, asking every passing antelope if they have seen some wanted criminals? Don't be absurd. I am not leaving until I know in the least, what direction to move in. Planing." **_He said. Castella shook her head.

"Oh very well."

"_**You arn't going to admit that recklessness isn't always a good option."**_

"Of course not! I am an Imperial Princess, Mortread! I could never give you the _satisfaction_ of thinking that I would admit defeat!" She said, her tail swishing playfully. Mortread stood up to leave, but to his surprise, Castella placed a paw on his chest, and gently pushed him back down again. He lay back, exposing his scarred chest and underbelly, where Khunum's vicious attack had marked him. Marsade had cauterised the wound to prevent blood loss or infection, but refused to heal it beyond that - or perhaps been ordered not to. So Mortread had born it the old fashioned way, leaving his belly marked. Castella traced the tangled and scarred flesh with the tip of her claw, sending tingles down Mortread's spine.

"But perhapes, I could give you satisfaction in another way?" She suggested, smiling. Mortread heartbeat spiked, as Castella looked at him with a familiar glint. It was the look the Emperor had when he surveyed unconquered land. Passionate greed, and yet it was without coldness or . And it was no mystery what it was she wanted of him, though a mystery to him why. His mouth went dry.

A lingering, treacherous, cowardly thought stabbed at him.

"_**But Harrin and the spies -" **_He tried.

"Shai'tan are allowed to abuse power once in a while. Let them wait."

"**\- and if the dogs hear-?"**

"They won't say anything – not even to the Emperor. Their loyalty to Mortread, Lord of the Shai'tan, is absolute, as is _mine_."

Asamode... Amun... Raeveal, Leviath, even the Emperor, for all their combined wisdom, would not have understood them in that moment. Perhaps nothing could. They would have thought that Mortread was manipulating Castella to climb the food chain of imperial politics, that his greed – already notable – had climbed to new heights. They would be would have combined their cold logic, cunning devious scheming, and fervent, treacherous intelligence, and of course, come to entirely the wrong conclusion. Some could not see the forest for the trees, and eyes so used to looking for deceit would strain to see anything else.

"_**Your Father would kill me if he knew..." **_He said. He was vaguely aware that the thought bothered him but he was distracted now and even as he said it it felt hallow and was ignored. His objections soon fell away, fading into memory, as Castella leaned forwards, brushing his face with her neck as she did so.

"He will _not_ take this from me." She said quietly. "He does not _rule_ me, Mortread. That title belongs to you. _Lord of the Shai'tan... And Lord of my Heart._" She whispered.

A while later, he would reflect that yes, as was so often the case, Castella had been proven to be right. Perhaps, sometimes, risk _did _have its benefits. In the very least, it certainly_ definitely _did spice up life.

* * *

**AN:  
Fun fact – did you know that Panthers do not exist? They are in reality, merely leo****pards or jaguars (depending on the continent you find them on) and arise as the result of a ****by a ****dominant allele****, and in the leopard by a ****recessive ****allele, causing something called "Melanism" which is basically Albinism, (Such as Lukaan) in reverse! They are no more a separate species than ****Lukaan is.  
In the real world. This gives the creature such an advantage that (Especially in the case of the Dominant Allene) it becomes a significant genetic trait, meaning it can actually become very common in some areas, among small populations. Theoretically, with enough time, it could become a subspecies of leopards in its own right, and with even more, result in a new species being born. Evolution, man. Biology is cool sometimes (And as a physicist, that takes a lost me to say).  
In the LK Universe, imagine that this change has already occurred, and that their DNA has diverged enough to render the mutation into a fully developed subspecies. They are a relatively recent offshoot of leopards/jaguars.**

**Also, the Short Geography lesson, is linked to the map shown in my profile, which you might want to investigate.**

**Also, this book will deal with the delicate issue of Sara's relationship with Danyal. Touched on in the first book, was the fact that Sara had an attachment to Danyal, and explored here are the reasons why. It isn't, of course, true love. Neither is it merely a child's crush. It is deeper than that. The relationship is something else entirely... But we shall see if the characters can discover that. The Theme of this Book could be said to be: "Relationships." as well "Leadership".**

**So there are three things to discuss here... Vitani Rei, Ras and Danyal (and Calin) and their little talks. How he he adjusting to becoming King, do you think?  
And what about Sundar? How is she adjusting to being a Shaman? I think we all knew that Sara's... thoughts on Danyal wouldn't just disappear now that they are in close proximity again.**

**And that final scene... I am a little concerned about, but I think the correct balance was achieved... What did you think? I know its romance – and therefore not my forte, but I think you shall enjoy it. I have however, had mixed responses from my Alpha Readers, so I really would appreciate your thoughts on this.**

**As always, have a nice day. **


	8. Chapter 7 - Heart of a Meerkat

"**Here we go people! Greetings, and welcome to the first "Flashback" chapter. There will be a couple of flashbacks in later chapters. Here I think, is a story many of you were looking forward to."**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Heart of a Meerkat**

* * *

_**The Present Day**_

_**16 months after the Fall of Pride Rock**_

* * *

Kiava stared at Timon, eyes wide open. Ed and Banzai looked aghast, and Zuri looked stunned. Ookai and Bruce looked confused. Eventually. Timon broke the silence.

"So know ya know kid. I wouldn't have told ya, if the Matriarch hadn't pressed the issue. But maybe she has a point... I have be come so used to secrets that I keep them for no reason..."

"You... Aren't Buzz?" Kiava asked in confusion. Timon hesitated.

"I am. But then, who is Buzz? Is Buzz the meerkat who lived with Sarafina? The meerkat who leaves traps for the Shai'tan? The meerkat who travelled with you, to help you regain the Pridelands? If so, ,then yes... I _am_ Buzz." Timon said. Then he sighed, and it was a deep and painful sound. "But I am also the meerkat, descended from a colony to the south – who left his home, to find his own... Who was friends with a pig and a lion, and eventually lost them both. Timon, as any would have remembered him, is dead." He said. Kiava's eyes furrowed.

"I... Think I remember you!" He exclaimed in confusion. It came in flashes and whispers, but he did clearly remember the face of the meerkat now that he knew where to place it. Timon didn't know whether to be saddened or relieved or by the statement. He nodded.

"I was there at your birth. I was their when Pride Rock fell." He said. Kiava felt his legs grow weak, and sat down slowly. He was still astonished at this turn of events. Seeing his hesitation, Shenzi turned to her daughter.

"Would you see about finding some food for our friends? The Lion Kings will not feast upon the flesh of vanquished. Find some prey meat." Asante looked shocked.

"We've just fought a battle!" She protested.

"So have they – they'll need the food. Trust me." Shenzi said. Timon looked around warily, and Shenzi added: "Oh, and Bhagari – fish around the tunnels again, and find something of substance for Timon. This may be a long evening." She said calmly. Then, taking charge of the situation, she joined Timon and Kiava. She studied the meerkat for a long moment. Then she laughed.

"He is right. This is not the meerkat who would lure away an army with nothing but his legs and an apple... Something about you has changed, since we last met. What is it?" She said. Timon gave a bitter laugh.

"Everything! Everything has changed! The world has changed! Everything that once was great about the Pridelands has been lost! I saw this kingdom in its golden age – before and after Scar's rule, and the tyranny of that the mad king that left the land scarred and burnt. But this is worse! It isn't falling into ruin, it is _bleeding. It is slowly dying. _You didn't recognise me at first, either of you. Why was that?" He asked them. Both looked him up and down. The mannerisms where there, now that they looked, but it was simpler than that.

"You are scarred. Scarred, muscled and armed. You act very differently to how I recall..." Kiava pointed out. Timon gave a rueful grin.

"Exactly." he said. "Do you remember me ever doing such before? Would I have attacked a wilddog with a spear the size of its paw? Would I have _had_ to?" He asked.

Kiava shook his head.

"That's what I thought... I am... glad that you have some memory of me, Kiava... Any memory of my life before the Shai'tan is precious to me." The meerkat said. He looked at Kiava again.

"You look like him you know... Simba. And Kovu. I see them both in you. You would make both of them proud." He said, smiling. Then his smile left him again. He turned to Asante.

"There. Are you satisfied?" he said. The Hyena gave a snort of surprise.

"Not in the least?! Where have you been for the last year? I know you of old Timon, you never left Simba's side! How does one such as you survive alone, in the wilds, under the iron grip of the Shai'tan? It beggars believe..." She asked him, her voice betraying that clearly she did not think such a feat possible. Timon's face became enraged for a moment.

"If you have something to say, Queen of Bones, say it clearly! I would hate to confuse you with too many cryptic words. There isn't much room in there as it is." He said spitefully. A number of Hyena's rose at that, and began to growl. Rather than be intimidated as he might have been many months ago, Timon leapt to his feet, and produced and spear from his back and vaulted into the air, only to land directly in front of one Hyena, and rammed the spear straight down between its claws. It fitted narrowly between the gaps in its paw, and the Hyena gave a gasp, then it began to laugh.

"What you going to go? Give me a splinter?" He grinned. But was unnerved as Timon grinned back.

"Oh... I don't know... Splinters can be dangerous! Who knows what could be on it... Not all bugs are safe to eat... some could be _very _nasty if they ended up in your stomach... or your blood stream." He sniffed. The Hyena calmed, but levelled his gaze at Timon.

"You are bluffing."

"I don't bluff. Or lie." And with that, the meerkat swiped the spear aside. It slashed into the hyena's paw, drawing blood, and the hyena pulled away yelping, gasping. It clutched its paw tightly.

"What have you done!" It gasped. Timon stared at its panicked state for a moment, before lowering his weapon. "Nothing. I only said that there _could_ be something on it. Not that there was." He said. The Hyena didn't look relaxed, it glared at Timon until Shenzi cleared her throat. Kiava however, got there first,before she should speak.

"If you have finished dancing like a pair of preening hornbills, I _think _we have more pressing issues. If you have anything to accuse Timon of, Shenzi, say it, without relying on your minions to intimidate him for you. If not, then no harm done. We can move along." He said, and his voice was like ice. Shenzi held his gaze for a moment. When she spoke, her response was calm and considered. Somewhat unlike what Timon remembered her for.

"If Timon is going to come out of nowhere, and claim to be on our side, I will believe him. But if he refuses to answer the question of how he escaped, then I am left to draw my own conclusions. She said. Kiava looked at Timon.

"It seems a fair question." He pointed out.

"Its not one I care to answer, if it is all the same to you." Timon said., narrowing his eyes.

Kiava's memories of the meerkat were jumbled and confused. But he remembered a light-hearted meerkat... One who joked, and laughed, who lazed around, who did nothing too strenuous, but could always be counted on in a pinch. . There was nothing that he and his friend, Pumba couldn't... Pumba.

"Hakuna Matata!" Kiava said suddenly. The others all turned and looked at him in astonishment. After a protracted pause, Zuri tapped his shoulder.

"Has he injured his head?" She asked slowly, but Kiava was nodding excitedly.

"I remember! That was our motto, wasn't it? _ Hakuna Matata. _No worries?" He asked. Timon looked at him, his mouth agape.

"How on earth can you..." He hesitated. "Never mind that. I haven't lived by that motto in a long time. Its part of the past now... Its not part of who I am anymore." He almost lamented.

"Why ever not? You and Pumba were the living _incarnation _of _Hakuna Matata..._ Until someone called him a pig at any-rate..." Shenzi recalled slowly. Timon flinched.

"Please don't." He said. Shenzi perused ruthlessly. "Where _have _you been, meerkat? And why did you hide your name from us? Why did you conceal your true self from your supposed _allies_?" She asked him. Timon glared at her.

"Because that side of me is _dead! He died with Pride Rock!"_

* * *

_**...Eighteen months prior...**_

_**...The Day Pride Rock Fell...**_

* * *

The sounds of fighting were growing dimmer as time went on. He looked around at those who remained sheltered in the den. Kiara lay to one side, still reeling from her pregnancy. Kiava was curled up next to her, very small, very vulnerable. Around her were the other cubs. Inti and Sara, the oldest looked frightened and scared. Zuri was fighting, curled in a shivering ball. They were still naive and could not begin to understand the danger they were in. But even in their limited understanding of the world, they looked terrified. Only Danyal moved. The youth was barely out of cub-hood. Timon recognised him. On Kovu's private request, he had kept an eye on the young lion since his arrival (with considerably more tact then he was usually renowned for). Almasi – the mother of the twins – had done her best to look after him, but for the most part, he kept himself apart from the other lions. Born to a nomad, out of season with the Pride and without any siblings, he had lacked any playmates as a cub, and Timon had privately grown concerned that without a suitable mate, he would eventually leave on his own, or challenge Kovu for the throne. Simba hadn't been concerned. The former King had known the Kings of the both the Southlands and the Mountain Prides, and assured them that they would find a suitable match for him when the time came – and that they shouldn't worry.

Simba.

His thoughts trailed off. The meerkat was old. Old enough to know the grandchild of the cub he had raised. The cub he had found in the deserts heat. All of their adventures in the Jungle, known only to three. The day Nala had returned crashing into their lives, and the day Simba had faced down his uncle and claimed his crown... and by rights that should have been the end of the story. But no. Against all logic and reason, Timon and Pumba had stayed. As much a part of the Pride as any lion or lioness.

And so they had remained.

And everything that they had endured since, they had faced together.

And in all that time. Never once had Timon considered the fact that he might outlive Simba. Simba was supposed to have died of old age, long after Timon's own passing. He would have witnessed his grandson grow up, perhaps even seen his grandchild's cub be born, before being ushered into whatever kingdom awaited the departed kings.

But the Shai'tan had ruined that.

They had killed him.

The Shai'tan had ambushed and murdered the King of the Pridelands. Rightly so, they had feared the unifying force the king presented. They had found the strongest link in the Pride, and broken it. So when the weakest link was later exploited, the Pride severed and splintered, and Sabini and her purists were exiled from the land And by then... nothing was left to prevent the Shai'tan from destroying the Pridelands.

And now, the Shai'tan had come again, to finish the job.

And all Timon could do, was morn the cub he had raised. He remembered every night spent under the stars. The first time the lion had defeated him in snail slurping. The first time Simba had came to them at night, his thoughts and dreams filled with dread and darkness – the result of the trauma suffered as a young child.

He also remembered the first time Simba had revealed to them the content of that dream.

_Darkness. Red skies and shadows. The world a flame. Its like that day, but twisted. Tortured. And I see my father die a thousand times, and each time I am powerless to save him. There is just that figure... the figure of shadow who throws him into the seething shadows below... I cannot see his face._

It was only after Scar's defeat, and his guilt released after all those years, that Simba had revealed that the laughing, twisted figure had slowly shifted and changed into another form, before sending him spiralling into the depth. Another form... who shared his face.

Even as an adult the nightmares hadn't left him.

Timon sighed, and for a moment the grief threatened to overwhelm him. It bubbled and seethed like a spring of violent and turbulent water. And in a flash, it turned to flame within him, the grief and pain and loss turning to anger and rage and an unquenchable hatred, an unstoppable hellfire that raged against the injustice, unfairness and the pure unadulterated anger at the ones who had inflicted such terrible pain upon him.

He was jerked out of his internal immolation when Danyal stood up.

"That's it. I am not going to wait another minute. They need everyone they can get out there!" The youth said, making for the entrance to cave, his claws unsheathing in an instance, a cold gleam appearing in his eyes. Timon stood up quickly, but it was Kiara who roared at the boy. Danyal stepped back quickly at the look she gave him which could only be described as murderous.

"Stay where you are, you stupid child! If you go out there, the Shai'tan will be on us in minutes. You go out there, and you'll cut our throats!" And suddenly, Timon was awfully aware of the fact that there were no limits to the things that Kiara wouldn't do to protect her son, who lay in her paws. He knew with dreadful certainty, that Kiara would kill Danyal where he stood, should he endanger her son, and fro Danyal's expression, the young lion knew that as well. Cursing, he sat back down, refusing to look Kiara in the eye. Sighing, Timon moved other to the lad, who eyed him suspiciously, assuming he would berate him.

"Relax kid... I want to be out there as much as you..." He told him. Danyal's snort told Timon everything he needed to know. He smiled.

"Precisely I would be torn apart in minutes." He said. _As would you, if you came to face to face with a Shai'tan. Regardless of how much you believed in your self. It would not save you from their claws, and your youth would be no defence. These monsters _would _kill a child, and you know it._

He spoke with the boy a little more, before leaving him alone, to sit alone. When Kovu returned, bleeding, and injured, half of their number with him, he had remained silent. The burning rightous anger was slowly replaced with a creeping cold fear, and a treacherous guilt spark of dread when it became aparant that their chances of survival were low. It hit like a wall of stone. He was going to die. Kiara was going to die. Kovu. Danyal. The cubs. They were all going to die. He reached a hand up and steadied himself on Pumba's tusk. The old warthog had said nothing at all, but his eyes were wide with fear. Timon felt as though reality was sleeping away from him.

Then... As Kovu began to make plans for their evacuation, at the cost of his own life, Pumba sighed.

"Well... so this is it." He said, sounding unusually coherent and sombre. Timon nodded.

"It looks that way, pal." He said. Pumba sighed.

"Well... If you think about it... We're all dying slowly from the moment we are born... May as well make something out of it." He said. Timon stared at him. Ever the optimist. Unable to hold in his mirth, he burst out laughing. He was right. What was the point in worrying about it? If death was inevitable, why be concerned about you can't change?

"What the hell? meerkats don't live that long anyway..." Timon said. He was about to voice his support when an unearthly voice shook the den. Dust fell from the ceiling and fissure appeared around their feet. The day was silent... There was a quietness to the air... A feeling of bitter loss. Of guilt. A hollow feeling of falling through empty air, cast adrift and alone.

"_**SAVARCK! AN ILLSIEM! MOJA HER IGNATION!" **_

The couldn't have known what it was Marsade had said in the unearthly Hellspeak – the language of demons. But whatever he said, it provoked as response as demonic, infernal flames struck the side of Pride rock. Instantly, pebbles melted into magma, and the side began to glow with red heat. And then, there air was filled with flame and shadows. It was chaos. Blood sprayed, and a force hit Timon in the back of the head. Whether it was a Shai'tan or a Pridelander he never discovered... but his vision turned dark.

He awoke, his head swimming, to more darkness. The flames were gone, but dust filled his nostrils. He was swaying slightly. As he moved. He adjusted his position, feeling around. He relaxed.

"Pumba..." He said, relieved. The Warthog was running at a shuffle, and the meerkat was wedged between his friends tusks. Pumba gasped, but it was one of relief.

"Timon... I thought for a moment you were dead..." he said softly.

"No... Not yet." Timon said, though he felt blood trickle down his back. He shifted.

"Where is everyone else?" He asked slowly. Pumba slowed slightly.

"Kiara and two others got away... Along with the cubs." Pumba said. Timon nodded.

"What about Kovu?" He said slowly, and his heart sank at Pumba's silence. He sniffed.

"Pumba, did you..."

"Yes. A Shai'tan came after us. It ignited from the Shaman's flames, and blasted it away. I saw it get up, but it didn't come after us." Pumba said calmly. Timon set up.

"Nicely done, pal!" Timon said, attempting to reassure his friend, but the warthog seemed distant and detached. He didn't need to know him well to know that the deaths had shaken him. Pumba was a gentle soul, and seeing so many close friends die, in such terrible ways, so soon after Simba's death, had carved wounds into his heart. They moved as much as they could, before emerging from the tunnels. The air reeked of blood, and the could see smoke billowing out of Pride Rock, behind them, the moon's gentle light, lost in the smoke and the shade. No stars shined down upon them now, they were suffocated out by the ash which sweeped through the wind, stinging eyes and burning flesh. But, with purpose and without delay, they moved through the night. They knew roughly what paths any survivors would have taken, they would have followed the river, the offshoot of the Zuberi that fed the Waterhole, and ran past Pride Rock.

Eventually, they're prays were answers, and out of the shadows and into the glade, they discovered the survivors of the Pride Rock's. Celebrations were cut short though, as they began to flee the Shai'tan. Thoughts of vengeance and redemption would have to wait, as the desire to survive became overpowering. They made their way towards the river.

Timon had almost thought they were going to make it... Right up until he heard Danyal's panicked scream.

"_**SHAI'TAN!"**_

Snarling, Vitani passed Kiava to Pumba, to carried the cub as best he could, but looked panicked. Vitani turned to face the Shai'tan, without another word, and the sounds of battle began again behind them.

Pumba struggled with the weight for a moment. He was falling behind though. Almasi, Damu and Danyal where pulling ahead, but Pumba simply could not drag, even a newborn cub, with any degree of speed or agility. If Kiava was to survive, it would take a lioness...

The thought seemed to cross their minds at the same time. Then, as one, they slowed... and turned. And ran back the way they came.

Vitani had fallen. They had not expected even the Pridelands greatest warrior to survive against the Shai'tan alone. But that instant removed any lingering traces of doubt that may have remained within him. He leaned down, and touched Pumba's snout once more, as the warthog lowered Kiava to the ground.

"_One last time?" _Timon asked his old friend. The Warthog nodded.

"_For Simba..." _He replied, so softly, it was like a whisper. And they charged the Shai'tan. The Tiger had not sensed them coming. Either their sense of smell was not as powerful as their African cousins, or else, Rish'ut had merely become so enraged and self absorbed that he had missed them, Timon did not know. In either case, they charged into the Tiger Lord's flank with such force, that the tiger was taken of his feet, Pumba's tusks – for the first time in his life – penetrating the flesh of a creature who was not presently attacking them. The blood ran thick and fast, and the Shai'tan let out a gasp of breath.

"Take Kiava and go!" Timon ordered Vitani. The Lady of the Night, gave the prey one last fleeting look... and ran.

Even though he had ordered it, that did it for Timon. She ran. And she did not look back.

They had all ran. They had ran or they had died... The Shai'tan was staggering to his feet, as Pumba stood his ground.

"_**Fool... to come between a Shai'tan and his enemy..." ** _He said. Then he laughed. _**"Is this the best that The Pridelands has to offer us now? This is their Champion!? A rat and a pig! At least Simba and Kovu put up a fight! This is less than sport! This is wiping out **_**rodents!**_**" **_He laughed. Timon's eyes narrowed. And now that familiar rage began to build inside didn't know where the words came to him, but suddenly they leapt from his mouth unbidden as his anger soared in him, a spear of fury forming in his mind.

"You are the rodent here, servant of _shadows! You are honourless and faithless – traitors to your own species, and at war with life itself!" _He said. He griped Pumba's tusks.

"Charge! For Simba and the Pridelands!" He bellowed, and he charged at the Shai'tan again. He shouted and Pumba shouted with him. And for a moment, Timon could hear the defiant roar of Simba in his hear, the three of them, charging into darkness! Rish'ut gave a cruel laugh.

"_**Pathetic..." **_He said. And with a contemptuous flick, slashed aside, tearing through skin, flesh and bone in one swipe. Timon screamed and Pumba howled, as pain pulsed through him. Timon was sent spiralling into the air, and the ground rushed up to meat him. He landed hard, and heard quite clearly a loud snap as his shoulder was ripped from its socket. Blood sprayed the air again... and for a second time that night, Timon sank into darkness.

_Timon... Timon – wake up... please. Not my son. You have taken enough of them! Spare this one! Just one... please!" Timon, boy, come on! Wake up! You can't die here... you can't die now... Please!_

The voices echoed around him... They cascaded against his memory. It seemed familiar... Who could It be? Didn't they know that he was sleeping? But they came again, more insistent this time... Prodding and poking... And it could not be ignored. _Let someone else do it... I have had enough. I am tired. I want to rest. I can't... do it anymore. Not alone..._

_No Timon. Not this time. I am sorry... You have got to get up. You are still needed... I am sorry. Not this time... And you will _never _be alone... I promise you that..._

And Timon was awoken, screaming. He howled at a hundred agonies. A thousand pains. His shoulder felt as though it was a flame.

"Timon! Oh my boy, my precious son! Thank the Kings you are alright!" And he was immediately embraced by a weeping figure, and then he could not breath.

"Ma..." He whispered... his face was ashen. A meerkat, who had been cradling his unconscious form, was sheding tears of joy, holding him close. Slowley, he was able to dientangle himself, and take a look at his surroundings. The sky was lighter now, but it was still night. Some way off, Pride rock was a smouldering ruin, its embers still glowing in the night.  
He managed to get a look around him. There were perhaps, two dozen meerkats, of varying ages, some injured, some old, some very young. There were crying younglings, and tired looking mothers, angry fathers and many were stained in blood or ashes.

Ma managed to regain his composure... and was checking his wounds. When she touched his shoulder, he howled in pain, and she flinched back. The limb had been detached from its socket. She looked concerned, but Timon braced through the pain, though tears stung his eyes.

"What... what is going on?!" He gasped.

"The Shai'tan attacked... they devastated the gopher clans... and all of dear Zazu's spies... Zazu has been missing for weeks. He is assumed to be dead. We... are all thats left. The Pride is gone. What has happened..." She whispered. Timon struggled through the pain.

"Kovu is dead! Simba... Nala... Kiara..." Then the pain welled up again. "Pumba..." He whispered. Ma averted her eyes, but didn't gasp. They had found his body then. "All dead... I could do nothing..." And then the pain returned. It raced through him like a lightning bolt, but the pain didn't pass... it burned and seared, and he moaned in agony.

_Everything... was gone. _It was so hard to wrap his head around.

"Son... Your shoulder... it needs to be reset... or it will be stuck like that forever..." She warned. Timon nodded, painfully.

"Will it hurt?" he asked, for a moment, before sitting up. Two other meerkats retrained him, tightly as his did so.

"Yes..." She admitted. Timon nodded.

"Good..." He said.

He screamed. He poured into it all of his sorrow, all of his grief, all of his loss into that scream. It burned his very soul.

Hours later... Timon had decided what to do. He stood up, and turned to his ma.

"Is this all who escaped?" He asked. Ma nodded slowly.

"The Emperor attacked the spy networks moments before destroying Sabini's faction... We are all that is left... Your uncle Max... was the last to fall." She said. Timon nodded slowly.

"You need to leave these lands. By tomorrow, they will be crawling with the Shai'tan's forces. There is no one left to stop them." He said. He thought back for a moment. Was it possible that Vitani had escaped? It didn't seem likely. But perhaps... just maybe... he could give them one more chance. It would be better if they all died there. Pride Rock would become their pyre.

"All of them...? Even the..."

"Even the cubs. Kovu's Son... Less than a day old." he told her. Ma's face coiled in anquish. It wasn't possible that any living thing could be so cruel.

"Sweet merciful kings..." She said. Timon snorted.

"Cut it out, Ma!" He snapped. Ma said nothing. "There are no King's left, that care for _us. _The Shai'tan murdered the only one who did, two nights ago..." He said, thinking of Simba. Then he turned to her.

"Ma... You need to listen to me." He said, she turned to him, her eyes filled with tears. "I need you now. I need you to lead the colony out of here. Anywhere but here. It will be a dangerous journey, and the colony needs your strengh. You have to make for the Southlands... It could be that Malka's Kingdom hasn't yet fallen. If it hasn't you need to warn them. If it has... then you need to flee even further south. Keep going, past the desert, as far as you can get from here. Travel at night, and get to saftey! Do you hear me?" he ordered her. Sshe was staring at him.

"You aren't coming with us." It was not a question. She looked aghast.

"No." He told her.

"WHY NOT! I need you now, my son, I can't lose you again." She said, embracing him again. Timon held her close for a moment, then pulled away.

"The whole Pride died in that inferno. That was my home, not here... There is nothing left for me here." he said. Ma looked shaken.

"Not even me?" She asked him. Timon sighed.

"I am sorry mother... But I can't Not any more. Go. Take my people to safety. I... Have to stay here. I have to do what I can, here." He said. She looked terrified.

"No... What can you do here? Come with me! Lets go from here, and never look back, why on earth would you stay here?" She said. Timon snarled, but it was not directed at his mother.

"I will do everything I can to bring about the death of the Shai'tan! I swear it by the Kings, the Stars! The Spirits, and every God that there is or was on this blasted globe!" He said bitterly. His mother stared at him.  
"Let me stay too then..." She said. And how Timon's heart surged just to hear those words... But he had already lost Pumba, and Simba, and everyone he held dear. Just this one person... This one person, they _could not have! _.

"No." He said. And there was no argument.

His mother stared at him.

"Will I ever see you again?" She asked him. Timon smiled sadly.

"Maybe someday." He said. But he lied through his teeth. Even so, it seemed to calm his mother. She nodded stiffly. Then, tears still forming in her eyes, she turned to the surviving meerkats.

"Alright! Come on everybody! We are getting out of here!" She said, putting on the bravest face she could. She turned to Timon...

"I am proud of you... Timon. And your father would have been as well..." She told him. Timon held her shoulder for a moment.

"Timon... No longer. I will leave that name, in the ashes." He said.

"Then... Goodbye, my Son. I love you. And no Emperor or King has ever changed that..." she nearly sobbed. And without another word, she lead the exodus. Timon watched the survivors leave. Maybe they would survive. He hoped so. And if his mother was leading them. Well then... he had given them the best chance.

When they has disappeared from sight, Timon wait a moment, before retracing his own trail of blood, black to where he had fallen. Sure enough, he located that which he dreaded. Pumba's body lay dead, out in the open grasslands.

With the speed and skill only a meerkat could provide, Timon had buried his friend in mere hours, and sat there, beside his friend, as the dawn approached.

He looed up, when he heard a sound like thunder, and saw, to his horror, a sight that would scar into his mind forever. Priderock, smouldering in the distance. Flames leapt up around it, and burned with a brand new intensity. Fissures occurred in the heat around it, and as he watched, the great and noble landmark of the Pridelands, crumbled into dust. It fell with a resounding *boom* as the new light of day spilled out over the bloodstained lands.  
It had been a dark night, and it was a blood red dawn. In the day's new light, he saw yet again the tattered state his body was in. It was grisly. He would need to recover. To rest. He wanted vengeance, but he could not claim that, while half a corpse.

He knew just the place... It might serve him, just one last time... Before it died forever...

* * *

_**The Present Day...**_

_**16 months after the Fall of Pride Rock**_

* * *

The other animals stared at Timon, when he had finished retelling his tale. He snorted at their expressions.

"Of course, I hadn't counted on meeting Sarafina once I go there... But we became friends soon enough – after trying to kill each other. I had to tell her that her daughter had been killed." He said. He turned Shenzi.

"Does that satisfy you, Shenzi? Believe I didn't escape by betraying my friends yet?" He said sharply. Shenzi looked uncomfortable. And to everyone's amazement and astonishment, she bowed head.

"Forgive me. I should have known that you refused to recall such events because of the pain is caused. I was thoughtless." She said. Timon looked stunned. Then nodded his head.

"Uh... Okay then." He said. Zuri had tears in her eyes, by the time Timon had finished. Kiava's face was pale.

"I never knew... We all thought you had died there." He said. Timon nodded.

"I know. In a way I did. I took the name Buzz, and began anew." Asante looked shocked, but Kiava looked angry now.

"I swear to you, Timon, I won't let Pumba's death be unavenged." He said. Timon sighed.

"Kiava... One day you are going to have to make some choices. And some of those choices will get good people killed, and you will still have to make them. When that happens, make those choices, and live with the consequences... And if you need to seek revenge for it... Do so." He held Kiava gaze. "But only ever seek revenge for your own sake. Not for his, and not for anyone else's. Pumba would have found it in his heart to forgive them. I can't. That is why I want revenge." He looked at Shenzi. "I have seen what becomes of those who fight for the vengeance of the dead. They become consumed by it. It is a cruel master." He said. Shenzi stared at him. Then she laughed, bitterly.

"I would keep this meerkat close, Kiava, he is wise, and you would do well to live by that." He said.

"Bu- Timon..." He said. "You lived under my father, and grandfather. I would be honoured if you stood by me. If you helped me retake the Pridelands. For all of those we have both lost." He said. Timon nodded without hesitation.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. If it takes allying with the Hyenas to do that, then who am I to argue?" He nodded to Shenzi... and with that, it was as though a truce had been agreed. Banzai shook his head.

"King Kiava... If you can make Timon and Shenzi set aside their differences... Then I would not be one to place boundaries on what you could accomplish. For the first time... I think we actually have a chance." He said. "A chance to defeat the Shai'tan. Defeat the Imperium. Defeat the Emperor. His followers and his Shaman." He said. Kiava nodded.

"I... Think so to..." He said, gravely. "If... We do the impossible. If we forge this alliance. Unifying the Hyena Clans and the Lion Prides. Together. Free the Shadowlands and Pridelands." He said. Shenzi grinned.

"A glorious new future, eh? Well... Lets hope that you can do better than our last King. You remind me of him a bit..." She said. That sent quiet throughout the entire group. Kiava grew cold... and Bane's words came back to him then... _You will bring about the End of the Pridelands!_

"_I am nothing like Scar..." _He said. Shenzi shook her head.

"No... Not Scar. Taka." She looked up. "Very well. If there was any doubt, there is not now. I trust you. King Kiava. I trust you and all who travel with you. My Hyenas will fight for you – and if need be, die for you. If, you can lead us to defeat the Shai'tan... we shall follow you." She said. Kiava nodded in agreement.

"Very well then. Let us cleanse the lands of the Shai'tan! And All who follow them! Starting here! The Shadowlands will be a haven for darkspawn and their filth no longer! Not ever again!" He said.

And the cheers echoed throughout the Pridelands. And all who heard it, knew a terrible, and wonderful thing.

The Pridelands were stirring.

* * *

**AN:  
**

**There you go! That was a grim chapter, I felt I had better finish it on an optimistic one, with Kiava formalising the alliance that was already taking shape.  
You may also note, that Kiava has prioritised taking back the Shadowlands, before returning to the Pridelands with his army. That must take strength... But _Abyss_ is still out there, and is still a threat to them all.**

**So now you know a little more of Timon's experience. I am glad you enjoyed it!**

**As ever, feel free to leave a review, especially if you a character or plotline has been neglected, and needs some attention. I read every review, with great pleasure. Don't worry if your not a regular reviewer. Its always a good time, to start, even if it is via the "Guest" option.**


	9. Chapter 8 - The Right of First Feeding

**"Evening All.**

**Also, there was something I wanted to do.  
While I do not have as much time as I would have liked, I do have time to explore this fandom for some**** gems.**

**One I have found, and followed recently, is known as "****Through the Eyes of a Scarred Soul" by a fellow Author: "Lord of Beef Dip"****. Its a fascinating story, with dozens of characters. The principle set up is that Scar, rather than dying, is spared. He does not perform a full heel face turn, his shift is gradual – and even now, 150,000 words in, the change is still happening. However, there is little time to focus on this, as a new threat has endangered the Pridelands, and it could be that Simba has to resort to the help of his hated enemy, to protect his kingdom. Its a wonderful story, with many shared themes with my series (Hybrids, Shaman, Scar, Ghosts, etc) and yet pulls it in a completely different direction I would never have attempted.  
It is a really good piece, but sadly received on average, one review per chapter. Me. Given the shear scope, size and quality of the story, this is unacceptable. So, I ask that all of you, the next time you are waiting for me to get the next chapter up, go and check this out. Its in my favourite-ed section.**

**Also, I have ended up TV Tropes! So, if there are any tropers there, feel free to add tropes there! Or even create a new page for the Series?**

**Anyway, for now the review responses:**

* * *

**Author:** Unfortunately, that is the last we will see of the Meerkats. They have no further part to play in the war (I can't handle that many groups), however that doesn't mean they won't continue to influence Timon. It was something of shock, but really, it there any better character to demonstrate how the evils of war will change a person? The desire to kill is not a natural response, and it requires severe psychological trauma to bring it about in a person. Fear, Pain, Shock, Anger, or total Psychosis. All can create a dangerous lust for blood in any creature – humans included.

Don't worry about the late reviews! That doesn't bother me! However, if you finding it difficult to find my chapters, I suggest you create a free account (all you need is an email address) and favourite or follow, either myself or the Story. Then, you'll get a helpful email notification, whenever I publish something (with a link inside, to take you straight here). It would also let me respond freely to your reviews... and give away snippets of information I wouldn't want to reveal publicly... Something to think about?

**Sandydragon:** Thank you for the kind review! Timon has indeed been through hell, but insanity isn't one of the curses that have a hold of him yet. Perhaps Timon doesn't have a reason to live, but right now he'd give his life to help Kiava and Zuri on their quest to reclaim the Pridelands. I am thankful you appreicated the high note (I had an alpha reader, who thought I ought to have left it depressing). But still, thank you ever so much!

**Lord of Beef Dip:** I liked the irony of Shenzi and Timon, (possibly the biggest nemesis pair, aside from Scar/Mufasa, Simba/Zira in the series) working together to defeat the Shai'tan. Given their history, it was an excellent way to show that "the enemy of my enemy is friend".

**LoveNeverDies8:** Great to see you again! Thank you for the review! I am glad Timon's survival took you by surprise. You will see more of Sarafina eventually, don't worry about that. Ah... So you are now suspicious of me and my plot twists? Well, there will be more plot twists down the line. Have no fear of that...

**Anyway, here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Right of First Feeding**

* * *

"_Go, INTI!_" Koron shouted.

And Inti dashed ahead.

The cubs weaved in and out of the grasslands, faster than the prey could see. Darting left and right, mere bolts of flaming gold, and caramel red, they moved with speed, agility and power unique to their species. And then the facade broke, elegance and swiftness being swapped with brutality and force. Inti leapt free on Koron's word, striking at their target with both sets of claws extended.

The cubs had been hunting for the past couple of weeks. They had not informed Almasi of this, Inti fearing that his mother would consider it too dangerous for her precious child to be hunting at his age, and Koron suspecting she would see this as a reason for them to desist in their exploits.

So, they had chosen instead, to simply not say a word on the matter until asked first.

That was why now, they had stalked around the Zebra, as silent as ghosts, before singling out a target, and unleashing their fury upon it.

Inti had wanted Danyal to teach them to hunt. Sara had agreed, citing her previous avoidence of Danyal and wanting to make up for lost time. They had both recalled how Kiava had spoken in hushed whispers mere days before the pride had been splintered by Bane's attack, and the twins capture, of how Danyal had taught him the basics of hunting. Although Koron had been suspicious of the young Lions ability to hunt, he had agreed it was better than asking Vitani or Almasi their advice. Koron still didn't know what to think of the King hey had conjured. Danyal was young, strong for his still young age, handsome, and rather likeable, even to Koron. The scars he bore inspired respect and admiration, rather than fear or pity from most of the Pride, and given how he had earned them, Koron could cede him that. To know that the young lion had defeated and killed Sekmet was quite something, and went some way to explain Sara's attachment to him.

But that plan had gone amiss almost immediately. Danyal, despite expressing interest and willingness to do so, had been advised against it by Vitani, who thought that such a show of familiarity would undermine his fragile rule, as well as be seen to favour the young lion cubs over the other beasts in the rebellion. Regretfully, Danyal had accept her 'suggestion', though not without expressing his frustration on the matter.

And so as a result, Inti and Koron had simply decided that they would pick it up at they went along. It hadn't been difficult to translate their tactics from fighting one another and other slaves, into tactics to bring down foes greater than themselves, into a useful, if brutal, method of hunting. It merely hadn't been particularly successful so far.

So now, as they attempted for the fourth time, Inti darted ahead, at the young Zebra. They had picked their target out beforehand. They had given up on the idea of taking down a fully healthy adult. Such a course of action might have been possible under cover of night, with twice their number, if they were older, but (even though Inti's tuft had been expanding since the fall of Golgorath, and now hung ever side of his head, as well as atop his brow,) they were not quite adolescents yet. They didn't want to give his mother a _reason _for her over protectiveness.

So instead, they had picked out a young Zebra. A youth, half grown, and already displaying a childhood injury resulting in a jagged gait and limp. Inti darted towards it now.

The herd panicked, sensing Lions. The fact that they were mere cubs didn't do anything to remove centuries worth of instinct that said, 'lion: avoid at all costs'.

Inti leapt. And his claws sank into flesh. The Zebra jerked and panicked and Inti held on, forcing his weight to one side, in an attempt to trip or otherwise fell the prey. It stumbled, and fell with a cry. Inti held fast, then released his grip at the last moment, collapsing into a roll, and springing back to his feet after one, two, three rolls. And the Koron was there, striking out in synchronisation with Inti.

Blood sprayed... as it always did. It hit the air, and for the first time in a long time made Inti _feel... _Not fear... Not pain, not grim relief. But a grateful in hunting down meat. Killing for a purpose beyond vengeance, defence or at the will of others. He was panting as adrenaline moved through his small form, but he felt alive. He turned to Korn, and clapped a paw onto his back.

"Nicely done!" He told his friend. Koron was panting hard, but he turned in surprise at the compliment. He managed to smile.

"Uh... Thanks, Inti. You weren't so bad yourself." He said, sounding awkward. Inti sat down, taking a short rest.

"It feels odd, doesn't it? Killing for meat?" He said, voicing his thoughts. Koron hesitated.

"I've never done it before." He admitted quietly. Inti blinked.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"When I was young, my parents hunted for me... I hadn't even begun to be taught to hunt... And if I lead you to believe otherwise then I lied. Sorry." He said. Inti stared at his friend.

"But in the Pits... You-"

"Yes. You can ask. I committed murder. I murdered my fellow predators, before I had ever killed for meat. I have spilled the blood of my friends more than that of my meat." He said quietly. Inti stared at the dark cub.

"I am sorry, Koron." He said. Koron sighed.

"Don't apologise. And please, for love of Spirits - don't pity me." He said. "Its just that a lot about this is new to me. Living as a Pride. I spent... a lot... of time in the Shai'tan's hell-hole. If they wanted too, they could have broken me months ago. I could have been left an insane wreak... Or even deformed into one of their puppet slaves, like Seba. Tortured into obedience and submission. The only reason they didn't was cold indifference towards me. I don't think they could be bothered. They didn't see me as a threat, nor think I would be particularly useful. I was an entertainment. Nothing more." Koron commented. Inti didn't know what to say to that.

"Well..." He said, gesturing to the dead Zebra, "its their loss, isn't it?" He pointed out. "Come on. Lets get this back to mother, Danyal and the others. Sara will want a slice as well..." He said. Koron brightened up.

"Do you... think she'll be impressed?" He asked after a moment. Inti smiled.

"I am sure she will be – and my mother, and Damu, and Danyal. Not to mention Ras and Rei and Sash and all the others." He said. Koron smiled at that. That was a pleasant thought.

"Come on. Lets get this hunk of meat back to the others – unless you feel like keeping it all to ourselves..." He said.

* * *

Danyal, on the paw, was not having a pleasant afternoon.

"I mean it, Vitani, the answer is _No! _Rei and Ras are young enough not to attract attention, but I am not sending out groups at the moment for anything other than reconnaissance. I am not going to be so reckless with people's lives!"

"They're going to try and kill us either way, _Kiava." _She said the word with a hint of impatience. "And don't think for a moment that they wouldn't execute any spies they found, children or not. You are not doing them any favours." Vitani said. Danyal side.

"Either way, I want to wait until the Panthers are back, before we do anything more aggressive. I want to have the information I need to make decisions, not rely on guesswork and gut feelings." He said. Vitani ground her teeth in frustration.

"Very well. _Your Majesty." _She said. Danyal sighed.

"Vitani, we _will_ discuss this later. Maybe you are right. Maybe we should be more aggressive. But I don't want my descendants to say that the day we lost the War, was the day I stole the throne." He said, before turning his back on her. Damu sighed, having watched the whole exchange.

"Danyal, I think Sara was looking for you earlier, and I think you should go see her. For once, go and speak to someone you care about for the hell of it." She ordered him. Danyal didn't argue. He left without another word. Damu rounded on Vitani.

"Stop it." She said honestly. Vitani's eyebrows shot up at that.

"Excuse me."

"I mean it, Vitani. Stop it. He is doing his best, and if he feels the better course of action is to exercise caution for now, then we'll _will_ go along with it. Stop pushing him to rule as _you_ would. He isn't your Son, and he certainly isn't your puppet." She told her. Vitani flinched.

"Don't you dare suggest-"

"I mean it Vitani! You may think that you know better, and maybe you do, but if I had spoken like to Kovu, then I'd have been off the hunt, and If I had spoke like that to Zira, I'd have been bleeding on the floor. If you want him to learn to be a King, then _let him _learn. Otherwise, he won't ever have the confidence to rule alone. And if doesn't, what hope does Kiava have?" She told her friend sharply.

"I... Want to help him, Damu. I always have." Vitani said, looking almost hurt by the accusation. Especially that she might want to usurp Danyal's rule.

"Really? Because from where I have been standing, you've been hard on him from the beginning. Is this because of his mother? I know you didn't part on good terms..."

"Kulana was my friend, Damu. I would never want anything ill to befall her son, and you know it. Quite the opposite, I want him to succeed... I know we've asked a lot of him, and I want him to do well. He _is_ my friend..."

"_I _know that, Vitani. He doesn't. Besides, if I were to offer the advice you were offering, I'd be using it search for my _daughter_... and Kiava. I would have him make it our Pride's priority. But I don't. Because it isn't my decision. It is his." She said. Vitani sighed, wishing she could offer more than words.

"Both Zuri and Kiava are alive. We know that for certain. If they had been found by the Shai'tan we would have been told about it – the Emperor would have . The best way we can help them, is to keep the Shai'tan's gaze _fixed _upon us. Keep the Emperor focused on us, and _nothing else. _Then, we can ensure their survival. If we devoted our efforts to finding them, we would risk drawing the Shai'tan to them."

"Do you think I don't know that! Do you think I would even be standing here, not tearing across the Jungle, the Desert, the Swamps, searching my way through the entire Pridelands, if I didn't?! Do you think I would even be able to _live _with myself for abandoning my daughter, if I didn't think that my continued existence helped her in somewhere? Because I am telling you, Vitani, If I didn't I would not be standing here! Oath or no oath. King or no king." Damu snapped. Vitani stared at her friend, and then embraced her.

"Look at us... We should not be fighting over this." She said. Damu sighed as well.

"I am tired, Vitani. Tired of fighting. Tired of living in a world _soaked_ in blood... I want to see my daughter again. I want to see my friends and my family... I want to stop going to sleep not knowing if I would wake up, and I want my daughter to grow up safe in the knowledge that she will be protected. That she can grow, and live and hunt and love in this world, now. I want the hardest decision she has to face to be who she falls in love with – not who she chooses to save and who she leaves to die!" She said. Vitani shook her head, her irritation giving way to pity and compassion.

"There is still time for all of that to happen. We can still defeat the Shai'tan... And return the Pridelands to the way it was. The way it should be. We _can_ do it." She said.

"perh-" Before she could finish, she was interrupted by high pitched voice.

"Princess Vitani! Lady Damu, pardon me, but you are needed." The two lionesses turned to see Calin, the young leopard coming towards them. He looked excited and agitated.

"What is it?" Vitani asked, harsher than she had intended, and the young cub shrank back, until Damu beckoned him closer.

"Inti and Koron have returned... They've been hunting." He said. Damu looked at Vitani.

"Did you know that?" She asked her. Vitani's eyes had narrowed.

"No... Are they alright?"

"They are fine. Dan- I mean Kiava is heading over their now!" Calin told her.

* * *

The members of new Pride gathered around with interest. Rei and Ras had not returned form their mission yet, but Sash had laughed when he had seen them approaching, and immediately signalled the other sentries. Sara had immediately bounded towards them, smirking as she did so.

"So that's where you'd been... Did you catch that all by yourself?" She asked them. Inti beamed proudly.

"We certainly did!" He scowled though when he saw Vitani approaching. "Lookout... Here comes Queen Vitani... I'll bet you the right flank she'll criticize us for running off before even noticing the meat..." He predicted. Damu had smiled upon seeing their haul, but before Vitani could say a word, Danyal had arrived, accompanied by Lukaan and Sundar.

"Well done!" He had exclaimed almost immediately, before laughing. Inti didn't see the joke until Koron had frowned, unsure he was supposed to be offended.

"Don't mind him... Its just that you are back early that is all." Sundar pointed out. Inti looked confused.

"Early?"

"Yes... The Sentries saw you leave earlier. The thing is, Almasi and Helio left at the same time with one of the hunting parties... and they are not back yet. You've out-hunted Helio and your mother!" Sundar explained. Inti digested this for a moment, and then joined in the laugh. Danyal was shaking his head.

"Well done Inti – and you too Koron. We're proud of both of you. Go split this with Sara, and the other Cubs. I think Karina and Darina will be hungry, and I know for a fact Sash hasn't eaten since yesterday. He's been on sentry duty." He said, looking at the youngest panther, who saluted, but was grinning at the prospect of free meat. A trio of Asiatic females looked curious though, and began to mutter among themselves. Sundar and Lukaan looked at one another anxiously, and even Damu looked as though she wanted to say something. The former slaves looked surprised more than anything else.

"_Danyal..." _Vitani hissed at him.

Danyal visibly sagged. _What now?_

"_What?" _He muttered, as quietly as he could. The other animals were looking curious at him.

"_Its traditional for the king to have first bite of every fresh kill... the huntresses always bring it back to the Pride... They are expecting you to take a piece first." _

"_WHAT?! "_

"_They are expecting you to claim a piece as King!"  
"_WHY!" He almost shouted in frustration, but managed to keep it to a frantic hiss. What was this? Somehow, this hadn't factored into what had envisioned even pretending to be Kiava would entail.

"_Its tradition!"_

"_But I didn't hunt it. And Its not like I had _asked _them to hunt on the Pride's behalf! They were hunting for themselves! Not me!" _He muttered.

"_Simba didn't hunt at all, and Kovu only rarely – and he stopped after it made some of the younger lionesses uncomfortable. Its rare enough for _any_ males to hunt. Look, stop complaining and just do it." _Vitani said.

Whether out continued animosity for their previous argument, or out of his own exasperation with the archaic practice, Danyal didn't know, but nevertheless, he shook his head. _To hell with THAT._

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll eat some of whatever Almasi brings back. Get that to the other cubs, and to yourself, you've done a hard days hunting!" he said aloud. Inti and Koron smiled, and Sash, Karrina and Sara cheered at that, before dragging the carcass away. Vitani shook her head.

_What was it with Adolescent males and doing what they were **told**!_ She privately fumed. Fortunately, his decree was well received by the various salves, the Asiatics approved of him favouring the young and injured over himself, as they interpreted it, and the slaves took it to mean that their new King was a lion who would empathise with his subjects over a pointless custom. In all, most were satisfied with the way that events had turned out... Vitani was relieved. While she couldn't bring herself to defy Danyal for him showing kindness to his young charges, she remained frustrated with his continued refusal to behave as was expected of him. In some ways, he reminded her of Kovu. She stilled herself. No. Damu was right. She was asking too much of him. When he had grown in confidence and strength. He problem wasn't convincing others that he was worthy of the crown... but convincing _himself_. Perhaps she should have a word with Sundar or Helio? The two asiatics seemed to be close friends... Or perhaps Sara would be a better influence.

In either case, she was diverted from such thoughts by a shout from Sash. The Panther had been preparing to leave his post, before gasping aloud.

"Guys! Helio and Almasi are coming back! _**And they aren't alone!**_" She shouted out. Vitani jerked.

"What?" She gasped, but Danyal had already leapt up over the banks to the hill where Sash was pointing. His gaze narrowed. Then he roared.

"Form ranks! Prepare to fight!" He roared. The creatures franticly assembled. He turned to Vitani.

"I see four shapes... Leopards." He told her.

"Any sign of Rish'ut or Asamode?" Vitani gasped. Danyal shook his head.

"Now Shai'tan. If Almasi or Helio are under duress, then they are leading their captors into a slaughter... If not... Then it still wouldn't do to be unprepared." He said.

"You don't mean to fight?" Koron asked. Danyal shook his head.

"We'll see. Get the fighters ready. Beware of treachery." He said quickly, the orders flowing smoothly and without hesitation. Within moments, the Pride was moving into action. Danyal's previously jovial behaviour had turned cold hard within minutes.

* * *

When Helio and Damu did enter the Pride's territory, it didn't take long until the group was surrounded by Asiatics, Pridesisters and Slaves. Claws, fangs, teeth and talons were bared, and growls were heard from all friend. Danyal stepped towards them.

"That's close enough. Helio, Almadi, rejoin your Pride. Your four... Stay where you are." He told them. Helio and Almasi moved, showing neither irritation nor relief.

"Are you hurt?" Danyal asked. Helio and Almasi shook their heads.

"No... They desire to speak to you, Kiava. We looked for other spies, but found none. So we brought them here." Almasi said. Danyal turned to the four newcomers.

"Who are you?" He said calmly. "And what is your purpose here?" He asked. The largest of the leopards moved towards him, then stopped when Sundar began to growl as he got too close. The leopard looked around.

"Your majesty, I presume?" He said, bowing low. Danyal didn't move. The leopard smiled.

"I represent this small clan of Leopards..." He said. "You must forgive me for being blunt. We humbly request your protection. We will accept you as King, Kiava, in exchange for your leadership... and your mercy." He said. Danyal still didn't move.

"You will forgive me for being cautious. Treachery has killed many of our number... Perhaps you had better start from the beginning? How did you come to these lands, and why come now?" He asked the leopard. He nodded.

"Your are right... Forgive me. As for how we heard of you... I am _Jahi_, and was until recently... a servant of the Shai'tan." He said, making a face as he said it.

Whatever the leopard had expected, the result was less than welcoming. There was uproar behind him from the slaves especially. Screams of anger and hatred. The leopard took a step back.

"I wasn't expecting a warm welcome, though you must know that I have played no part in hunting you down for the Emperor. I gave the Shai'tan my loyalty only when Kovu was slain. When as far as we were aware, the war was over. You cannot fault me for that... We didn't even know that there was anyone left to support against the Shai'tan." He pointed out.

"And now you do you are here now?" Danyal asked, doing his best to ignore the muttering behind him. Jahi nodded.

"There are many among the Shai'tan supposedly loyal servants who act only out of fear... The Hyena clans have enough safety in numbers to openly defy the Shai'tan for a time, but with the Wilddogs and the Snakes both betraying the kingdom to the Imperium, there is little any honest creature could do in the face of such power. You must understand this, given the circumstances of your own survival... You ran, where others died, did you not?" Jahi said, meeting Danyal's eyes. The young lion didn't give him the satisfaction of betraying the guilt he felt at that. Jahi sighed. A for the moment, the leopard self assured attitude seemed to evaporate. He looked... tired. His form was battered and bruised. Old wounds and new wounds. Fights, hunts, beatings. He looked thin, and had clearly not eaten well of late.

"Look. I am tired of these games. I am already a dead leopard if the Imperium discovers me. I have already murdered two of the wilddog guards sent to investigate my disappearance and enlist my youngest son into the Emperor's armies. That was _after _I had decided to defect by the way, so don't suppose that I am merely jumping ship to save my skin. I liked Kovu when he was alive, and I would gladly live under the reign of his son. Your majesty, I made mistakes... But I had no choice."

There was a pause, and the beasts looked to Danyal for a verdict. Then a sharp voice cried out.

"LIAR!" Beasts turned, and Danyal looked surprised. It was Calin who had spoke. The young leopard had jumped forwards, and was bearing his teeth. He seemed to be shaking with rage.

"Liar!" He shouted again, and the leopard looked shocked. His family seemed almost frightened by the cubs loud criticism. For a moment, the leopard looked annoyed – What little Danyal knew of leopards told him that the leopard's sense of honour aristocracy, would no doubt be offended by such words from a mere cub. They might respect him, but it seemed unlikely he would show the same to a mere cub. So perhaps that was the test. Danyal said nothing, as Calin glanced at him, to see if he would be stopped. When Danyal said nothing, Calin rounded on the leopards.

"You pretend that you had no choice! Of course you had a choice! They didn't force you to submit! They didn't _make _you loyal to servants of darkness! You could have said no! You could have refused to even look them in the eye!" He demanded on them. Some of the slaves muttered in acknowledgement. Many of them had been imprisoned for just that.

"Perhaps." Jahi said stiffly. "But don't condemn that what you haven't felt, cub. I wanted to protect my children and my mate. Would you rather I had let them die?"

"YES!" Calin shouted. And there was stunned silence. "Yes!" He continued. "Let them die, if it means doing the right thing! Give your life, and theirs, to serve the true king! Refuse to take part in genocide – because it is _evil! Pure evil! _If you aren't prepared to die for that, what _is _worth dying for! You are no better than they are! Worse even – you know what they do is wrong! And you let something as mundane as _fear _overwhelm that?! You are a coward!_"_

"_You can't possibly understand! There is nothing I would not do for my mate or cubs!" _Jahi retorted. Calin was incensed.

"_Understand?! _My parented _died _because they chose to do the right thing. They knew the risk and they died for it! Because they chose to help an innocent cub! Do you think if they had loved me more, they would have sided with the Shai'tan? I am _proud _of how my parents died! I mourn them and I grieve for them every day, and sometimes it hurts so much I think I can't go on, but I am proud that they died doing the right thing! Will your children by proud of the decisions you made?" He said. There was more grumbling now. Calin's anger was becoming a focus for everyone.

"We have all lost families." He said. He looked at Koron, Vitani, Danyal, and Damu. "We've lost Parents. Siblings. Children. Kings and Slaves. Homes. Dens. But their sacrifice is what makes this battle worth fighting. Its not enough to win a war. Its having the reasons to fight it. The integrity to fight it the _right _way. You sit there... a Coward! In front of hero's and warriors. People who have been maimed and scarred for fighting for what is right! You should be on your knees before every single on of these creatures – not just the king! Before every male, female, and cub!" He said bitterly.

"You make me ashamed of my species. Even _Zira,_ stood with her fellow lions against you and your masters. If I were a lion, I could be proud of my race for standing against the Shai'tan. Instead... I am stuck with you and the shame it brings upon my kind!" He said. And Danyal saw the very shadows of tears begin to form in the young leopards eyes.

The older leopard looked at Calin. He looked at the young cub, who dared call him coward. And then, he sank slowly to his knees. Moments later, his family followed him.

"Please." he begged. The Leopard Lord, begged.

"You are right. I chose the cowards path. I didn't join for power, or status. I joined to _live. _But my family shouldn't have to pay for my choices. Execute me for treason if you will it. But my family has had enough of the Shai'tan's rule. We want a free Pridelands again." He said. Calin still looked angry. But then he turned to Danyal.

"Forgive me, your majesty, for that unseemly outburst. I have said my peace." He said. And then, bowing, he moved away, to rejoin Sundar, who embraced him like her own cub when he returned to her side. Danyal stayed still for a moment.

"You admit to cowardice... And to treason." He said carefully. "The Law dictates that in times of war, such as yourself pay the ultimate price. In less enlightened era's your family would join you, such was the severity of these crimes. They cannot be ignored." He said carefully. Jahi nodded his head. It had been a fools hope.

"I understand my King." He said. Danyal glanced at Vitani. Would she want him to exercise his right as king to murder the unfortunate leopard, as a potential threat? He gave up. If he was to rule, he would rule _his _way.

"Helio. Do you recognise this leopard, from any attack upon the Asiatic heartlands?" he asked. Helio shook his head. "Koron. Inti. Did you see him among the scum who tortured and maimed the slaves of Golgorath?" He asked.

"No." Koron said. He glanced at Sara.

"I do not remember seeing him when pride Rock fell. Do you?" He asked her.

"No..." She whispered. Danyal lifted a paw.

"Jahi... Your crimes of treason and cowardice are grievous. You didn't just run, you joined the enemies of the Pridelands. Answer me honestly. Without fear, and without seeking to curry favour. Why did you seek us out? And how came you to find us?" He said, coldly. Jahi closed his eyes for a moment.

"Last month... Asamode returned to Golgorath. Alone. He spoke in secret to the Emperor... But there were whispers. Murmurs. They said that Rish'ut had been Slain, by a lioness for the Pridelands. Amun hasn't been seen for weeks... But the most damning of all was when Mortread first returned. He had recovered the corpse of Sekmet... Three Shai'tan... Rumoured to have been killed by Kiava... or on his orders. Kiava... Son of Kovu. Either way... the Emperor believes them... He has summoned the rest of the Shai'tan to Golgorath. Leviath, Raeveal, and Mortread are now in the Pridelands. He is gathering his forces now once and for all. The Seven have returned to the Pridelands." There was more muttering at that. Even a few gasps of fear. _So soon. We aren't ready..._

"Rumours?" Danyal asked, trying to divert the Pride's attention from the immediate danger.

"Rumours... with plenty of evidence to support them... So when I heard rumours that the offspring of Kovu had survived, my family and I decided that we ought to finally pick a side. We chose... I chose... To face up to my mistakes. Kiava... Did you Kill a Shai'tan?" He asked Danyal. Danyal hesitated for a moment.

"Of Amun, we know nothing. His disappearance, if not some trick or scheme, was not of our origin. Of Rish'ut? Zira sacrificed her life to face down both Asamode and Amun at once. She killed Rish'ut. And Asamode killed her. As for Sekemt." He lifted his face to stare at Jahi. "I killed Sekmet. I slew her, and threw her body from the left me scarred for it." he said, gesturing to his injuries as he did so, but fixing Jahi with a hard stare. To his credit he didn't look away, and Danyal continued. "The only reason I found it within me to do so... Was because she threatened my friends. My cubs." He pointing at Sara, and Inti, and then moving on to include Calin, Koron, Sash and all the others. Almasi Vitani and Damu. Sundar. "There is nothing that I would not do for _my _family, Jahi. All of them. Every lion – be they Pridelander or Asiatic – every cheetah, jaguar, leopard, wildcat, bird or beast. Every citizen of my Kingdom. I would do anything and everything to restore the kingdom." _Lie. Cheat. Kill as well... He thought to himself._

"That includes fighting creatures such as the Shai'tan. You loved your family enough to kill for them. Will you love them enough to _die_ for them, Jahi?" He said. Jahi stared at the king. Then nodded.

"With all my heart, yes." He said. Danyal nodded slowly.

"You came her knowing you might face execution for not fighting at the beginning, like Calin's parents."

"I came..." Jahi said, bowing his head.

"Then be a part of this family. You and your kin. Reconcile with the rest of your kind." He said, this glancing at Calin, who was still scowling. "Cast aside the Shai'tan. Be free of them. Fear them no longer. As King of the Pridelands, I pardon you of any crimes you have committed. Join us. And fight for a free Pridelands." He said. Then turning to the other animals around him.

"Let every creature know! The King has called them to chose a side! Return to the light, and fight for freedom! Let those who would return to the crown! I swear to you all, any who come here, free of treachery and guile, is welcome, regardless of previous allegiances or convictions... I would welcome them back to the Pridelands. Any who chooses to fight the Shai'tan out of compassion and courage for the Pridelands!"

Jahi nodded, and for the first time, smiled.

"Thank you... my King."

And at that the crowds began to cheer. And even Vitani smiled in gladness, as the other beasts, slaves, Asiatics, Pridelanders and others all cheered. The day was coming soon, the reckoning that the Shai'tan feared and dreaded. Soon, the Pridelands would be rent in two... and those who would serve the true King would return to their side. Soon...

_Long live the King..._

* * *

**AN:**

**Jahi is Swahili for "Dignity" by the way.**

**What do you think of him? While not a primary character, he does serve to show how Danyal – and Kiava are beginning to gather followers. But also, lets not forget how the Shai'tan are gathering. And although many of their schemes are off screen, they do have their own plots and schemes... Sekmet's hunt for Kiava, Rish'ut reign over Golgorath, Amun's attack on Carrocscirr, Asamode's treason, and now Mortread and Castella are on the hunt as well.**

**Does it ever feel as though the villains are absent? Or are they always there, lurking in the background?**

**I have also been making notes for another little project... When Legacies is done and dusted, there will be more.**

**Making Koron and Inti hunt for the first time was a long time coming.**

**What did you think of Danyal in this chapter? There is a conflict between him and Vitani, though it isn't one of malice, merely differing opinions as to how next to progress their agenda. He is a good leader, but very unsure of himself, born out of the knowledge that he isn't the legitimate ruler.**

**Calin, I also liked in this chapter. It was interesting to show off a character who has ascended from being a very minor character without any lines in the first book, to being a major fighter in the rebellion. **

**Anyway, as ever, please, review if you have any questions, comments or thoughts. Remember to check out Through the Eyes of a Scarred Soul.**

**Enjoy!**


	10. Chapter 9 - The Thrill of the Hunt

**Firstly, the review responses**

**I decided to be a little more full with the responses, and took a full day after writing the chapter, to do the responses. And since it makes up over a thousand words, I think you'll like them! **

**Hopefully, we can get some good discussions going!**

**I encourage you to discuss among yourselves what you think is going to happen..:**

* * *

**LoveNeverDies8: **They'll be meeting soon! Both the two Pridelander groups, and the Shai'tan's forces. Planned for this book is a major confrontation, and while it won't be the final battle, it will have huge ramifications for the rest of the book... But that is getting ahead of myself, and giving away spoilers! Don't want that!

Sometimes, when I write the characters, I have to write the character first, and then I figure out the character's deeper mental motivations later on. A lot of Ras and Rei was figured out _after _their introduction, and I don't quite know how Jahi will go yet. I think he was a good cheetah, but also a weak one. Like there are many men and women in the world right now, who are basically good people, and yet, they will not call out injustices, for one reason or another. Perhaps, like Jahi, they think that their silence will keep the people they are responsible for safer.

But as the old saying goes, all that is needed for the Triumph of Evil, is for Good to do nothing. That is Kiava – and Danyal's greatest challenge right now... Convincing people that they can and should do _something._

I agree that Danyal is changing. He is, in some respects, my favourite character, although I do like showing Kiava's development, I feel that Danyal's in non-linear. Everyone knows where Kiava should end up. We know his goals and his roles and his quest. Danyal is a bit more of an enigma. He has no family, no ghosts urging him, and no thing to guide him. He isn't some prized leader, or heir. He is just Danyal – and that makes his development, more interesting to write. Since _he _doesn't know where he is going, or what his eventual end point is.

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Danyal I think is doing a good job. I wonder, what will happen if he ends up doing a better job than Kiava? Hmm? I wonder what situations that will create...

You are optimistic with the way it could resolve. Of course, he Danyal mucks up between now and the eventual meeting with Kiava (As you think likley to happen) he might be able to explain it... But there are ways it could backfire of course. What will happen if both end up in the same place at the same time? Or if one is captured?

Danyal is also feeling very guilty over the deception, which, combined with his inherent self-esteem issues (rooted in his lack of a family. Notice how Kiava, Inti, Sara and Zuri all had parental figures during the first days of the exile, while he had none. Combine also with the amount of time he has tried to sacrifice his life for "the greater good") means that the only one convinced he would make a terrible king is himself!

Its interesting how you have seemed to side with the conspiracy, rather than against. I wondered if any readers would take sides against, and insist it was a bad idea...

For the Imperium itself to erupt into civil war, would be... interesting. Of course, in some parts of the world, the Imperium (in some form or the other) has ruled for centuries... In other parts, as Castella pointed out, the locals are _benefiting _from the social changes. Would it really be a good thing for it to disintegrate? Babylonia, Eygpt, Troy, Greece, Selucia, Carthage, Rome. Once the centre of the world... Now? Their empires are dust. And today... The fall of the Ottoman, the British Empire, the Third Reich and the USSR have all but collapsed. The Age of Empires is well and truly over.

But, while the destruction of the USSR, and Nazi Germany is rightly heralded as a victory for democracy, and the triumph of Good, think of what happened to Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire. The destruction of the Ottoman Empire (And the fragmentation of the remaining countries) lead to religious and cultural sectarianism that plagues the world to this day, and the collapse of the antique nations, only lead to the rise of the next, even bigger Imperium, or to the cultural decline that lasted a millennia, and the birth of the dark ages.

Take a moment to wonder... Do you _want _a civil war, across the entire Imperium? Warring Shaman across seven continents? How many would die in the fires, if the Imperium was to burn?

Given your thoughts on how one must sometimes make a choice between two poor decisions, you might want to think on that. Which is the lesser evil?

But enough of my musings there.

You see Danyal as the opposite to Kiava? Interesting. In some was they are very alike... but in others, they are indeed opposites. That is a good spot.

**Sandydragon:**

So glad you enjoyed it!

I am rather fond of that chapter in particular, but I am also very proud of this one, and I think this one is one of the best ones so far. Its more action packed, while the last was much more subdued, so I'd be interested to here your thoughts on this in comparison.

Koron has some more development in the words, have no fear of that. His is a difficult character to right. I don't want to fall into potentially offensive "Emo" stereotypes and cliches, as being the darker cub, who falls into solitude and brooding.

Vitani equally, I don't want people to hate. But you are right. She can't resist taking charge, being used to it for so long. She is used to being responsible, and sees herself as responsible for everyone, even if it means protecting them (what she sees) as their own mistakes.

Danyal, remains an awesome character. I get what you mean over subtlety over bluntness. There will be more subtle digs, but this was the turning point for him, and for Vitani. I wanted it to be a clear departure point from his previous role. It was meant to stand out – though I do see what you mean. I might tone down some of the more obvious action from now on in light of that.

Thanks for the kind words! You'll see more of Calin now, don't you worry! I have big plans for him in the future!

I hope you will enjoy the rest of what I have planned!

* * *

_**Before we get started, I just wanted to say, I hope everyone is feeling well, and you are all happy and healthy.**_

_**I hope you are all having a good time, and that you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Thrill of the Hunt**

* * *

Beyond the borders of the Pridelands, far to the north of the borders of Kiava's Kingdom, deep in the depths of the Shadowlands themselves, Kiava was also hunting. Though he had know way of knowing it, he ran as Koron and Inti had done, days before. But his prey was no Zebra or Impala. Nor did he hunt alone. He moved through the greying plains as part of a _pack._

Either side of him, he was aware of the presence of other forms, not always seeing, or even smelling them. Only occasionally would he spot their shadowy shapes, but he was constantly aware of their presence nevertheless. It was a peculiar thing, to hunt as pack, to function as a group rather than as an individual, and it was not altogether unpleasant.

Asante lead the pack of course, as was her right. That had never been questioned. Kiava was merely serving as a part of it, though he was now leading one of the flanks.

He could smell them... their prey. The foe they hunted. Wilddog. He could taste it on the edge of his tongue, along with a familiar tang of emotion.

That was the other odd thing about hunting as pack. At the peak of his physical prowess, while one with the hunt, focused only on his prey, his senses became heightened, his physical capabilities increased. It was the burst of strength that let a pack of Hyena's threaten a lioness. The same strength that let him overpower and defeat his foes.

And it let him taste emotion.

He could feel it ahead of him. Fear. A dash of anger, but fear remained the greatest of the emotions that assaulted his senses. He powered through it. It could not distract him now. Not now.

Suddenly the pack broke away from the main routes they had been following. He hadn't picked up on the scent changing direction, but someone had, and now he moved with the pack. Sure enough, a moment later, he could sense his prey shift, divert, attempting to shake their pursuers. A failing.

Then, in a single moment, he was not relying on such instincts anymore. He aware that ahead of him, moving in and out of sight, were the physical shapes of the creatures he hunted. Wilddog.

Servants of the Shai'tan.

Giving a cry of anger, he forced his body to move faster, pushing it harder, making himself stronger and pounding away at the ground beneath his paws. He would feel sore for it later he knew, but now it gave him another burst of strength! The strength to attack. To fight. And to kill.

Then he found himself outpacing the hyena's around him.

Then they struck.

Asante struck first, leaping forwards, and snapping tightly around the rear legs of the slowest of their prey. There was no inelegant snapping or yappering. She dived once, leaping like an arrow and the latching on tight to an extrema in a single bound. That was why she was Pack-Leader.

He followed suit, striking not with his jaws, as a Hyena might, but with his claws, using their hooked ends to drag his opponent down to the ground. Both Asante and Kiava carved into their prey, spilling blood into the air. Then his jaws slammed forwards, searing into the prey's flank, crushing and slicing a huge fillet of flesh from its side. The bleeding began in earnest and it filled his gullet with a familiar metallic tang, a warm flow of viscous liquid, like syrup and then, like a great burst of light within him, he let go and he had moved once more, letting go of any conscious thought. He didn't need to _think_ about killing the dogs, it was like muscle memory. There was a way it _should _go, and he didn't resist it, moving with ease onto his next target.

Now the Wilddogs had faltered, and almost given up the chase. They were prepared to fight. One turned, barked aloud to his companions some command Kiava didn't hear, nor care to listen to.

And the realness of the situation slammed into Kiava. And the _thrill _hadfelt_, _left him at once.

The Chase was over. The Hunt was done. Now came the Fight.

Suddenly, he was _not_ Pack. He was Kiava. Kiava, a single lion. He growled as loudly as he could, and several of the dogs answered his shout, running towards him, teeth bared, claws showing, howling and rushing to meet his charge head on with equal speed and force. The first dog met him at full run, and had been aiming to dash past him and bite into him at the spine.

It was a deadly tactic if successful, but it remained heavily dependent on the speed and accuracy of its user.

Sarafina had taught him to avoid it by arcing his body, and so he let his rear limbs catch up with his front, letting them slide ahead of him as he arched his body in mid-air, slamming them into the ground even as they hit the dusted floor, propelling him sideways into the dogs new path in an instant. Suddenly, his attacked back was now safely protected by row and row of teeth and the sharpened edges of his claws, which he unleashed now and racked at the unfortunate dog's face, cutting deep and spilling more blood high into the air, shining scarlet.

Kiava bit forwards again, into the unprotected neck, tightening around the creatures throat and jerking his head sharply. It should have snapped its neck instantly, giving it a painless and quick death. Instead, his younger teeth slashed into his throat, but it wasn't powerful enough to sever the neck as the creature instinctively pulled away. It flailed on the ground as it collapsed, chocking, wheezing, drowning.

But Kiava had moved on, aware though he was of the sloppy kill, he paid it no mind. The dog would either bleed out, or drown on its own blood. He couldn't spare another thought on it today. Maybe another day he would. Maybe later this day, if he survived, but if he meant to survive, he could not afford to do so now, because there was a third target; One who was attacking him without hesitation and was even now leaping towards him, striking with his claws. Kiava danced out of the way, but a raging pain was sent spiralling down his back. He had lost sight of the rest of the battle and as soon as he had turned his back, another dog had homed in on the exposed area, slashing and biting at his back with such terrible ferocity, it threatened to overwhelm him.

"Kiava!" Zuri shouted in surprise, seeing his predicament and panicked by it. Zuri. That was right. Zuri was there. He couldn't let her be distracted, she had her own battles. He turned around to the dog on his back, and slammed into it with his bleeding shoulder. It hurt him, sending more gasps of pain through him, but it stunned the dog long enough for him fight off a surprise blow from another dog, and divert his attention a moment more before it had recovered. He had coiled, muscled tightening. Then they released as Kiava span, and struck, ducking and weaving as he did so. His claws becoming scythes, his teeth blades. The wilddog, used to fighting other canines was no match. Sarafina had taught him well, and he would use every trick, every tactic, every weapon and every skill he possess now.

He was a living weapon.

And the two dogs, died.

Blood leaked slowly from a dozen wounds he couldn't remember taking, but the blood on his claws was not his own. It fell to the dust between his claws. He caught sight of Zuri again. She was moving like lightning and, as if trying to outdo him, was taking on three dogs at once. For a moment, He as breath-taking, watching her. She moved with grace and elegance he lacked. His slaughter was more precise than the effective butchery the hyenas practised, but each but she made, each blow, each bite and snap and gouge, was delivered with deadly accuracy and momentous force. He was taken aback for a moment, as she moved, ripping out the gut of one dog, and the throat of another in a single movement. The thirds turned tail and ran at seeing such ferocity. Kiava was stunned. This was no mere cub he watched. It was a lioness, pure and unrestrained, nature's most effective killer.

If this were in another time, or another place, it might have repelled him to witness such bloodshed at his age. But that age and that time and that future had been snatched away from him the day his parents had been murdered. It might have once horrified him, or at least unnerved him, but here and now, he could only wonder at her skill and speed and one day hope to match it.

Even though he now knew it to have been ruse, he yet again felt the fire within him as he thought of how Sarafina had treated her, his Zuri. She had treated him as the King, the only one of importance, and derided and mocked her for her attempts at fighting.

He was a fighter, a killer now, perhaps.

But she was, and remained the real warrior. Her blindness, though feigned, enraged him beyond measure. It was seeing someone toss aside a prized jewel, or erase some great art, purposed to be worthless.

It had only driven her to greater effort, and watching the fruits of it now, in that moment, Kiava knew that he could never hope to match her in skill. Not even if he trained for weeks at a time, sparing time only for the consumption food and water, would be able to move with such grace, such deadly precision.

If he could best her now, as Sarafina thought, it would only be by virtue of his superior bulk, his strength, or perhaps some quick thinking of scheme to give him an advantage. If it had for once come down to pure unbridled skill, he would have had no chance. She turned to him, smiling with relief to see him alive and relatively unhurt.

She made her way over to him, even as another of the depraved creatures leapt at him from some crevice or shadow. But they were coming slower, and weaker now. They were exhausted, demoralised, and fewer in numbers. The dog that attacked him was held at bay for a moment, before Zuri was on him, wrestling it to the ground, pinning it there. And Kiava saw an opening. He struck once, twice and on the third time an another dog's life was snuffed out like flame in a breeze.

They both stood there panting, side by side, the King and the Lioness, for a moment with blood and sweat merging into the sticky heat around them. It stung his eyes, he rubbed his paw across his fringe, and only succeeded in staining his mane with further crimson. The adrenaline was leaving him now, and he could form more complex thoughts.

Looking about him, Asante was surveying the last of the wilddog's fighters who still fought without surrender. There were not many left, and they had tried to flee until fighting became the only the option.

Two leapt directly at her and this time she didn't even respond with a growl or bark. Her eyes flashed white only once and with a thunderclap, a pulse of force ripped into existence before them , blasting them away from her, into the air, where they crashed into the ground and from that, did not rise again.

Kiava gave a smile. He hadn't encouraged her to use her powers in battle. They exhausted her and it would not do to collapse on the ground in the middle of conflict. Especially, if they needed to fight again in a single day. But even so, it was something to see her unleash the four winds against her foe.

Looking around, she could see no more enemies, only allies. Everyone was looking around anxiously, on edge but more or less safe. After a moment and the absence of further attacks Asante nodded and gave a loud bark.

"Victory!" She shouted, and the cry was taken up by pack. Zuri gave a whoop of celebration, as Kiava sank to the ground, in relief, finding himself exhausted.

"_Thank the kings..." _He whispered.

* * *

Asante moved over to him, a smirk on her face, though as Kiava was beginning to detect, held no malice. Hyenas always smirked, even when they were not mocking.

"You fought well, Princeling! Better than I had predicted at any rate! Did I count _four_ kills?" She asked him.

"Three and a half. Zuri pinned the last one, before I killed it." Kiava said, but he was smiling. Asante shuddered.

"Yeeesh. _Lions_... You might stink and you sure are ugly as hell – but _man _can you do some killing... I myself, am sitting on _six _individual kills." She said.

"Is that good, do you think?" Kiava asked. Asante laughed.

"A single kill is _good _Kiava, if it is a servant of the Shai'tan. Hyenas don't usually count individual kills, since we hunt as a pack. We hunt as a group. No one predator is usually able to claim a sole kill. It is how we fight. But I suppose with a lion in the mix, we can start to make exceptions." She said, looking around, and slightly impressed. In all, the wilddog's force had numbered just under two dozen. Kiava would have wanted to have more hyenas with him, to at least outnumber them, but as Asante had predicted, the wilddogs were already weakened from their brutal defeat at Kiava's paws days before. Only small pockets of the canines had survived. Deserters, raiders, and others. Spies, injured or otherwise incapacitated during what was being credited as Kiava's Slaughter of the wilddogs. This had been the largest and only organised group of them left, outside of Abyss' not inconsiderable army of serpents. Kiava had requested they hunt them down first, and Shenzi had given him a pack of a ten wilddogs. Zuri and Kiava had joined to make a full dozen pack, but Kiava had refused responsibility as Pack-Leader. It was Asante's pack, and he would not hijack that from her. The wilddogs had been desperate, running right up until they had no choice but to fight.

"Did we take any casualties?" He asked her. Asante's face became serious.

"No fatalities _yet_. But several suffered severe wounds and I am worried about a couple who managed to become surrounded at the height of the fighting. If their wounds become infected then they could still die, they are not safe yet. I might be able to help them out after a rest. But we have had no outright deaths. We've not been so lucky for a long time." Asante said.

"Luck had nothing to do with it. We had some pretty good leaders." Bhagari pointed out as he made his way through the gore towards them, leaving bloodied pawprints as he did so. The male hyena was cheerful, despite an injury to his head sending blood down one side on his face. Asante tutted when she saw it.

"You're getting careless, Bhagari..." She chastised him. Bhagari laughed.

"This? This is nothing. I got nicked when I was distracted by the two shrieking balls of _death _over here. Would some like to remind me again why we spent so long at war with these freak's species?" He shuddered. "_Horrible _idea." He muttered.

Zuri coughed, not feeling too comfortable with the attention. If she was going to be well known, she would have liked it to be for something other than severing spines. Kiava, catching her expression moved the conversation forwards.

"Is there anything else?" He asked. Asante shrugged.

"Four dogs surrendered near the end of the fighting..."

"That optimistic of them." Bhagari noted.

She said. Kiava froze, his expression hardening.

"I'll need to speak to them." He said coldly. Asante nodded.

"I thought as much. Let the others have their rest. They are over here."

* * *

The captured dogs were not bound or held in anyway. They stood a little way off, encircled by hyenas, but looking completely defeated. Bruised, bleeding, and a fixed with looks of such complete despair, Kiava couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness as he made his way towards them. _Stop it. _He berated himself. _Be_ _serious._

"_Stand up. You are in the presence of the True King." _Asante barked. The wilddogs stood shakily to their feet with little encouragement and looked anxious, as the cub approached. Kiava's eyes narrowed. The dogs were taken aback at the sight. Amun had described a cub. A youngling, terrified, and weak. Barely beyond drinking his mother's milk. Instead, they beheld a boy, who's youth only served to make his cold demeanour more unsettling, his blood-soaked countenance looking grim. To see a fully formed Lion King hold himself as such, fully prepared to administer their death and getting closer with every step, was frightening enough a thing. To see such deadly determination in a mere child only made it worse.

The King's black mane had grown since the fall of Pride Rock and now it extended back behind his head and over the tips of his ears, pressed flat by blood and sweat. It was dripping with scarlet blood, and his bright emerald eyes blazed out of the gold and black and crimson-stained fur.

Kiava didn't need to say a word. He just stood there. Waiting. The minutes extended. Then finally, one of the dogs cautiously raised his voice.

"Um... Your... Majesty... Uhh..." Kiava fixed his gaze upon him.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked him.

"You... Are Pr-King, Kiava. Son of Kovu. The one who fights the Shai'tan." The lead wilddog asked. Kiava nodded.

"I am the one who kills them. And You just tried to kill me." He said calmly. "Actually, you have for a few days now... Do you know where that puts you? Its what we refer to as _treason._" He said softly. "The only reason you are still alive, is because there is a chance that you might happen to know something useful. That is all." He said. Asante grinned wickedly and her eyes blazed an unearthly white.

"Oh... Leave that to me. If they do, we'll know soon enough. Though, if screams unnerve you, you might want to stand a way away." She pointed. Kiava held up a claw.

"I am sure I would be be fine, but I am certain that they will be _very _cooperative." He said. None of the dogs moved. Eventually, one spoke.

"I don't know much. But I can tell you what I know..." he said.

"_What are you doing?!" _One hissed, elbowing him.

"_You bloody fool – they'll kill you if you say a word, and if they don't the Emperor will!" _The other said. The wilddog met Kiava's eyes.

"If I am dead anyway, I may as well die here. Kiava. My name isn't important. You have fought bravely. You slew Amun. That feat alone is impressive. But I have seen the Imperium. I have been through the Gateways, and seen its vastness. The Shaman came through one, not long before Asamode's attack."

"There was an Open Gateway at Amun's old encampment? Does it remain active?" Kiava asked.

"No. It was Sealed." The dog admitted. Kiava shrugged. Useless then.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing beyounf the simple fact that you can not possibly defeat Ben-Kai-Ra." He said. Kiava didn't move a muscle in his face.

"Funny. That is what Amun said. He died." he said. The dog expression didn't change.

"I say this only as a warning, not as a threat. Ben-Kai-Ra is a powerful foe. More powerful than anything the Pridelands have every faced in its history. The Shai'tan are only less so. Amun was but one of Seven. After Sekmet's death, he summoned Leviath, Raeveal, Mortread and Asamode to his side, and took personal control of the Pridelands. All of The Seven have returned to the Pridelands. You don't stand a chance against them all. Do you think I would have stayed in the Pridelands, if I thought you did?" He said. Kiava laughed, in the manner he had often seen hyenas do and the wilddogs eyes bulged, wary of the maniacal outburst, suspecting, but not knowing, that Kiava merely sought to unnerve him.

"Who knows why you dogs do anything? Is that all you have to offer us?" He asked. The wilddog sank to the ground.

"I was a grunt. I have no information that is worth my life. I merely offer a warning. I have nothing else. And that is the truth. Kill me now, or later. Torture me if you think you must, but I can offer no more." he said. The other dogs looked panicked. Was he admitting that they were useless? Asante sighed.

"And I was hoping you might have been worth sparing your lives... I do so _hate _killing prisoners." She said, bearing her teeth. Kiava shook his head.

"No." He said.

He glared at the dogs.

"I would consider myself a righteous king. I will not slaughter defenceless prisoners, as you would have." He said. The dogs looked about in confusion. Kiava grabbed with himself, trying to keep bound the anger burning inside him. He wanted to kill these monsters, who had sold their honour and their self respect for the sake of a few petty trinkets and meaningless platitudes.

"I will punish your treason as my father would have. You are _Exiled. _If you are found within the Pridelands, or their territories again, by myself, or any of mine, your lives are forfeit. Go, without deceit. And tell it to any wilddog you meet along the way. _Get out. Leave. Run away and never return to these lands! Everyone single one of you who has turned their back on the Pridelands. Nowhere in the Shadowlands, the Outlands, the Pridelands, nor any of the other kingdoms under my rule, or under the rule of my allies, will be a home or haven to you!" _He shouted_._

"_Be forgotten and abandoned, as you forgot and abandoned your loyalties; to me, and to yourselves." _He decreed. And it was hard for him to do so. The act of mercy felt like weakness, yet he couldn't imagine himself conjuring within him the stomach to merely execute the survivors for their crimes.

The dogs stared at him as if he were mad. The hyena's merely looked initially perplexed but then shrugged. The dogs were defeated and no longer a threat to anyone but themselves. Let them vanish off the face of the Pridelands for all they cared. Too few in number and too weak to threaten them.

"GO!" he commanded, and the four ran for their lives, in four directions. One glanced back, as if to marvel in wonder and Kiava growled a warning, which sent it scurrying.

Asante watched them as they went. She smiled. They would spread tales of Kiava... Kiava who defeated and killed Amun and a legion of dogs alone, Kiava who hunted down the survivors and then... showed mercy. An act of compassion. It would run through the land like wildfire. Was that what he had intended? Some master-plan to bring others to his side? Somehow, Asante doubted it.

Kiava sat down once more when it was done. Zuri came up behind him and licked the blood from the side of his face. He shut his eyes for a moment, just enjoying the closeness and presence of his friends. When he opened them again, his gaze was serious again.

"I hope I didn't just screw up..." He muttered, sounding concerned. Zuri shook her head at the suggestion.

"I think... that you just did a very hard and very brave thing. And I think it was the right thing to do." She said. Kiava sighed.

"You should go get some sleep. Its a hard days march back to Skeleton Canyon tomorrow... I want us to be ready... That was the last of the wilddogs... All that leaves is Abyss and his serpents. The Snake Tribes will pose a terrible danger to use, greater than the wilddogs ever did. We have been lucky so far that Amun seized most of them for his own legion – it meant we didn't need to fight them under Rish'ut or Sekmet... But now it could end up biting us in the butt. They are all focused here. I had hoped Amun would bring them into the trap with him, but he is far too cautious to bring his entire army in a single spot... And Abyss is no fool. He is a Warlord more than a General, he fights alongside his troops, but he is powerful." Kiava said. Zuri purred. "Don't worry about that for now..." She told him. Kiava nodded.

"You are right... Again." She stood up to leave him. "Zuri?" He asked, as she turned away.

"Yes?"

"You... Were brilliant today. Really." He told her, smiling softly. She smiled back, blushing the faintest shade of pink.

"You too. Stay alive." She said. Then she moved away. Asante smiled as she went away, before sitting down next to Kiava.

"She's certainly something." She said. Kiava didn't notice her tone, so she changed the subject.

"Something has unsettled you." She told him. Kiava nodded. He was thinking back to the hunt, before the fight, where his senses had been nearly overwhelmed, and he had felt himself losing his individuality. He tried to explain it. Asante listened.

"Does it frighten you?" She asked, looking interested. Kiava shook his head.

"No. If it had made me act on my rage and lust, when I should have been thinking clearly, then maybe… But even so, it was not quite like anger. It felt, _above_ it. Beyond anger and hatred... it was just... the _hunt_." he said. Asante nodded.

"I know what it is... Its normal. But we don't talk about it much." She said. Kiava looked confused, so Asante tried to explain.

"The hyenas call it _the thrill, primal instinct, the hunt, _or _Bloodlust. _Whatever you like_. Most _carnivores feel it to varying degrees. Not normally at your age, or mine, come to think of it. But most adults feel it. Coursing through them as they hunt, the drive, the lure of the chase, making them faster, and focused." Kiava nodded.

"It was something _more _than adrenaline or just a by-product of fear. It was _more _than that." Initially, part of it _had _frightened him, but as he felt its warm flow more and more, he became used to its alien touch. It felt... normal. Natural even. Primal, but not _wrong. _He said as much, and Asante nodded again.

"Its no more evil than desire, or fear, or anger. It is just a part of life." Asante had told him. "It _can_ motivate one to evil, if let uncontrolled, but it is hardly a curse for you to bare, or guard for. Every hunter has it on some level... The greater the hunter, the greater the _thrill. _The bloodthirsty part of it, means we don't talk about it much. But any time you've seen your family lunge for a piece of a meat, scramble, powering through blood and sweat. The chase. The hunt. It's what lets the pack work together without communicating, your lionesses flank and outmanoeuvre prey, and bridges the gap between instinct and training."

"Why have I started to feel it now?" Kiava asked with relief. Asante shrugged, unconcerned.

"Everyone does, on some level. You are just more... open to it now. War and hardship will do that. Taka was uniquely gifted in that regard... I believe Zira was as well... so heaven knows what Kovu sensed when he hunted – and he did hunt, male or not, king or not, Kovu _hunted. _That was what made him dangerous." Asante said. Kiava nodded.

"_Interesting." _He said_. _Asante smiled.

"If you are feeling the thrill of the hunt, then it just means you are becoming a better hunter. Perhaps it was you hunting with the pack. Lions don't feel it as much because they usually hunt alone. I was watching you and Zuri today, and I think she felt it too, though she perhaps wasn't as aware of it. You've not been hunting long, have you?" She asked him. Kiava shrugged.

"Danyal taught me to hunt, days before the Pride splintered."

"And yet, you already race with the best of us. You've starting hunting as a group. If you are that open to the feelings and senses of others... well." Asante shifted. Kiava blinked.

"What?" He asked.

"Normally, it's the sort of talent you'd spot in a hyena destined to be a Pack-leader." She admitted.

"So..."

"So it bodes well for your leadership. You hunt well. And you fight well. Your technique isn't refined... and you certainly don't have the savagery you'd expect of a hyena your age... But then, you're not a hyena. I have no idea what is considered good by lion standards. " She said. "I'd be... interested... to spar with you one evening." She said. Kiava nodded, thinking to how the hyena's trained. It was a social event, witnessed by many, with others cheering or booing as the fight progressed. Perhaps it was time to try his own paw.

"I'd be honoured." He stood up. "We should get going."

"We certainly should. The hyenas aren't used to having a King... It must be time to _mingle_ with the common folk." She said, sarcastically. Kiava laughed.

"I have never done anything like that in my life. But I will start if you will, _Princess _Asante." He said. Asante's eyes bulged.

"_What _did you just call me!?" She gasped. Kiava laughed.

"Oh you are – you know it! Your mother is the matriarch! You are going to inherit the clan!" He said. Asante scowled.

"That doesn't make me a princess, fool. Princesses are... prissy." She said lamely. Kiava stood up, wiping his blood stained paws on the ground.

"Well, then, in that case, _Pack-Leader, _Sir, perhaps, we should merely reconvene with the troops, and leave such pretentious nonsense to the archaic?" He suggested. Asante shuddered.

"An excellent suggestion, your majesty." She said. It was an odd thing for her to say, even now, but it didn't catch in her throat the way it used too. _This _was a king she could get behind. She didn't have to grovel or stoop or bow or scrape. She merely had to go where he pointed and kill things. For a Hyena, that was a fairly decent sort of king. And if, in the mean time, if he actually did some ruling, and made the place run smoothly, well, so much the better.

* * *

Far beyond the Shadowlands, to the east, a vulture spoke in a low and sombre voice. When it had begun, Ben-Kai-Ra's expression had been dark, and now, it looked thunderous.

"_**ARRRRRRRRAHHH!" **_He howled, before slamming his paw into one of the stone pillars around him. The claws sliced clean through the rock, sending sparks into the air. Anger boiled. It burst forth and howled, a tempest of anger and hatred.

Gradually it subsided. He gathered himself, and turned back the Vulture. Vultures were a disgusting creature. They were the epitome of weakness. Never hunting themselves, scavengers, like wilddog, but even they hunted occasionally. Vultures were parasites who lived off the strength of others. But they could travel at impossible heights, and great distances. Asamode stood nearby, calmly regarding the spectacle.

"_**So." **_Asamode said_**. "Amun is dead."**_

"I regret to inform you so, sire." The vulture said. Ben-Kai-Ra brimmed with anger.

"_**How!? He had a LEGION! I sent him to destroy the last pockets of resistance – how could he have been so incompetent!?"**_

"_**Amun wasn't a genius. He could be outsmarted by Mortread with relative ease... and outfought by Sekmet or Rish'ut on any day." **_Asamode said. Ben-Kai-Ra seethed.

"_**He was versatile. He was any other Shai'tan's equal at any other task! He was ideal for the shifting tides of battle, perfect for the unpredictable tenacity of the Hyenas! He was butchering them! What changed!"**_

"_**He might have been skilled at everything but he was a master of **_**nothing**_**. That was why his father hated him..." **_Asamode commented.

"_**And that hatred caused Amun murder him! I cannot believe that... No. The Fault must have been mine. I overestimated his abilities... I should have sent Raeveal in his place." **_He said. Asamode smirked.

"_**That is your daughter talking, not you. You know that Amun screwed up, he has only himself to blame for his demise. Weakness leads to death – that is the way of the Shai'tan."**_

"_**Arrogance can lead to death just as quickly. **__**Be silent." **_The Emperor hissed, sounding held his tounge and the Emperor was silent for a moment. Then he turned around to face Asamode.

"_**Go and seek Mortread and my daughter. Tell her to proceed. Send Mortread forth. Bring Kiava before me. And tell Mortread that I no longer need this King alive. I couldn't inflict enough suffering in a single lifetime, even if I had the patience. Bring me his head! Then, Marsade can ressurect him as many times as required..."**_ He turned to the vulture.

"_**Inform Abyss... Tell him..."**_ He hesitated. "**Retreat.**" He almost hissed the words. "_**Withdraw from the Shadowlands. We will stamp out the rebellion **_**here**_**. If Kiava is indeed here, then he is a greater thre- he is a greater **_**priority **_**than some rabble in the Shadowlands, even if they have defeated a Shai'tan.**__**We shall crush the last remnants of Kovu's spawn, first. **__**Then, I shall **_**obliterate**_** that kingdom and turn it into a pile of rubble. Carrocscirr will burn and the ashes will not even remember how it was ever otherwise!" **_He said. Asamode bowed low, his tail swishing in the air as he left.

"_**As you command... My Lord." **_Asamode said, before turning his back on the emperor, and strolled out without a further word. The vulture messenger fled the room with him, deciding the company of the Shai'tan-Lord was only slightly less terrifying than that of the Emperor.

The Emperor let them leave, his eyes almost burning holes into their backs as they left. He remained as solid as a stone for a moment. Then he withdrew a claw. The blacked tip was razor sharp, along the edges as well as at the tip. He admired it for a moment, before thrusting it into his paw without further hesitation. Immediately, blood bubbled to the surface. Crimson, but dark, almost a hint of black to his. He clenched his paw, forcing it well inside his paw tips, feeling the thrill of the pain. Then he threw it to the ground, sending the droplet spraying.

The drops stood there for a moment. Then they began to hiss, sending up coils of smoke. The blood boiled, and the air shimmered... And out of the haze, Marsade appeared. The Orangutan was gaunt, greying, and, most obviously, missing an arm. But even so, an aura of fear, no, terror, emanating from him. He hissed.

"You should not be so free with that... Any blood you use for that will never be renewed within your body. You know that! You'll be forever without those drops of blood. Lose of too much will result in... Complications.

"_**Amun is dead."**_

Marsade didn't seem surprised.

"So?" He asked

"_**SO!"**_ The Emperor roared. The ground trembled, and if the vulture in the corner had remained, he would have been trying to melt in the wall out of fear. Still, it did not do to have such frivolous displays of emotional volatility.

"_**That is THREE of the Shai'tan dead, Marsade."**_

"Even if Amun didn't managed to wipe out the Hyenas, he still managed to accomplish his true mission, though he kept being distracted by lure of battle. His death will not inconvience my plans, though it might delay us, if he left the job unfinished. Pay it no heed. We should focus on the bigger picture here." Marsade said, impatiently. The Emperor was not soothed. Rather, he became enraged, and he strod towards the image of the Shaman, looking murderous and his claws fully extended into wicked knives.

"_**Did you not hear me? THREE, Marsade! **_**Sekmet**_**, **_**Rish'ut**_** and now **_**Amun**_**! Nearly half of most trusted servants!" **_He seethed. It was a terrifying thing to witness. His anger seemed as deep as the ocean void, and yet burst forth with such a blaze of ravenous heat, one could almost feel it. His eyes burned, blazing with a dark flame. Such power. Such hatred. The emotions of a Shai'tan became another weapon with whom to assault their foes. Mortread's, greed, Sekmet's anger. And Ben-Kai-Ra could draw upon any of them. But with no target for his anger, it merely boiled inside him, burning with a hateful glow.

"Your grasp of arithmetic is second to none..." Marsade said dryly, seemingly unconcerned by the anger of the most powerful creature in the worlds. He stood there, as if bored, picking his fingernails with the edge of the dark bladed weapon he wielded as all time now. Black smoke seemed to coil from it.

"_**I tire of you playing games while the real battle is fought elsewhere, Marsade. Have you found what you are seeking yet?" **_He asked. Marsade smiled.

"I am close... But... Not yet. This is something in which you could assist me. Asamode has been slow. He is uncooperative and has served his purpose for now... He has provided me with everything he could. But I need not remind _you, _that what I do _is _the real battle. When I succeed, it will matter not if your Kingdom spans continents, the borders of a meerkat colony." he said. The Emperor snorted.

"_**You would demand more of me, after this!? I recall us making a bargain. You would destroy the Pridelands; I would rule the rubble... You kill Rafiki; I take his homeland. And yet, the Shaman survives! The Kingdom survives! The **_**King **_**lives on, like a cockroach, that I can't stamp out!**__**"**_

"Not for much longer, I fear. Or did you think that I have been idle while you play at being Emperor with your toy soliders? While Rafiki thinks me dead, I a, free to progress further with _my_ plan – and while I progress further with _my_ plan, you will ultimatly benefit with _yours_. I only ask that you are patient my old friend. You have waited this long, after all. What is a few more months?"

"_**SORCERER! Do you take me for a fool!?"**_

"Oh no! I know _who _and _what _you are, Ben-Kai-Ra. You are one of the cruellest, darkest creatures to walk this earth, but I know spirits and monsters far worse."

"_**Like what?"**_

"Like me! I am the one those creatures _fear. _If Amun is dead, than it is a tragedy. We are all very sad for your loss, and I offer my most _heartfelt _condolences. But it is a mild setback, that will mean _nothing _in the long run. Keep your forces. Keep your armies. Rafiki is the only person who could possibly be a threat to our plans at this point anyway and while he is focused on _you _he is letting me proceed with _my _plan."

"_**And how long until that**_ **progresses**_**? As you put it? You are trying my patience, Shaman!"**_

"You know as well I do that this is difficult thing to accomplish _covertly_... If you wanted to assist in that endeavour then you could lend me Raeveal and Leviath. I can put those Shai'tan to good use, as you well know. What have they done yet? At least Amun and Rish'ut died doing something productive, rather than sitting around feasting while the Imperium remained so threatened..." He said, grinning. Ben-Kai-Ra hesitated.

"_**Asamode would be required to return here to command the forces of the Shai'tan. I do not want Mortread taking responsible for **_**all **_**of our forces. Too much power gives them... ideas... above their station." **_He said. Marsade shrugged.

"_Trusted_ servants eh? As you like... When the time comes to actually battle Kiava, Or Vitani, or Rafiki or whoever it is you've decided to brutally slaughter, I can have them back with you in moments. I am a Shaman, you know. Its what I do._**" **_He pointed out. Ben-Kai-Ra nodded his head, as he reached to the ground and picked up a small rock nearby. He had used it to sharpen his claws before, and he ran them across it now. The grating noise would have sent shivers down the spine of any eavesdropper, but to the Emperor, it was soothing.

"_**Very well, Shaman. But do **_**not**_** test me. I want these lands, Marsade. I **_**must **_**have them – and that is essential to our plans AS WELL! Don't you forget that your schemes will come to naught if we do not **_**complitley dominate **_**them!**__** I would hate to think that you did not value our deal." **_He said, narrowing his eyes. Marsade laughed.

"Forgive me if I appear to treat... baser... objectives with apathy... If I seem to lack of enthusiasm for such minor things as conquest, it is only because I aspire to _higher_ things. But I gave you my word, Emperor. I would _never _betray it..." he said calmly. The Emperor stared at him for a moment, as if searching for deceit. Then he nodded.

"_**I don't care if you consider the slaughter of a kingdom a **_**lesser**_** aspiration. Just so long as you play your role in it and I get what I **_**want from you..." **He said, his fist closing around the rock, and crushing it to dust in his paws.

"And you shall, Emperor. And you shall... If the time comes, and it becomes _necessary_, I shall go forth and sweep away Kiava, Vitani, this pityfull rebellion, and every last Pridelander, _personally_. If it becomes necessary. Until then, I suggest you concentrate on your task, while I concentrate on _mine_!" The Shaman said, smiling. His teeth sowed through, more yellowed than before and overly sharp for primate. He grinned, and slashed his own hand with the dagger he bore, spilling his blood on the ground, where it ignited in a flash. It flared, and dark flame leapt up and spread out across his form. Smoke spurted and flesh hissed, and for a moment, Marsade cackled with a high cruel laugh as the flames engulfed him. Then he vanished as the flames flared and died out.

* * *

_**AN:**_

_**Oooh. Interesting,**_

_**Well, people, what did you think of that? Please, let me know in the reviews, and if you have any other questions, even if you've not reviewed here in the past, drop a PM and I'll get back toyou as soon as I can!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**Coming soon, is a chapter with a twist that will have profound implications for the rest of the book!  
I hope you are looking forward to it!**_


	11. Chapter 10 - Bitterness

**Evening all.**

**This was a difficult chapter to write – but I think you will like the result. That said, this is a long chapter, over 10,000 words...  
I really should cut down on some of the length.**

**Since this book is now longer than Both "Flood" and "Tremors", and it is about a third of the way done.  
Hopefully, the chapters will stabilise.  
Are chapters of this length acceptable? Or would you prefer if I split chapters of this length to two chapters of half the length?**

**But firstly, the review responses:**

* * *

**Author:**

I am glad you like Kiava. He is certainly becoming more competent. He isn't yet a flawless leader. Interestingly, at least for me, his flaws are very different to Danyal. Kiava doesn't suffer from a lack of esteem. He is more than willing to accept his birthright. Where as Danyal, is much less sure of himself. Dispite both having slain one the Shai'tan. As for the Emperor... Interesting theory. Marsade certainly isn't trustworthy. And he does appear to be backing Asamode over the Emperor... I wonder if anyone here has wondered why this is the case? What makes Asamode a more suitable ally?

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Kiava does value Mercy, especially because the Shai'tan don't.

Not all of the characters have the same philosophy. Vitani for instance, lives in the morally grey areas. Kiava on the other hand (somewhat like myself) sees the world in black in white. That is not his naivete, but a philosophy that will be elaborated on. But essentially, he will never sacrifice the moral high ground – because what is the point in fighting, if you become as bad as those you fight?

* * *

**Sandydragon:**

Awesome to hear from you again.

The Emperor posses no magic of his own – although this method of communication is a pretty nifty trick Marsade has achieved. The basis is in a protection-type magic, with a blood magic trigger – resulting in him becoming aware of whenever Ben-Kai-Ra's blood is spilt. Since nothing can hurt him, he knows that the emperor wants to talk and so projects his own image through the same link. Pretty useful.

His anger and paranoia will become a hazard eventually, though for now, he is completely in control and if Asamode thinks he will have it easy, he has another thing coming.

_**How is everyone? As I have said, this chapter should have large ramifications for the rest of the book...**_

* * *

**Chapter 10: Bitterness**

* * *

The day wasn't yet light by the time Sara's eyes blinked open for the first time that morning. The den was dark still and the heavy sounds of breathing were the only sound. The ungodly hour meant nothing to her these days, although she would have gladly slept until noon. Regardless, she began the day as each day had begun since the Shai'tan's conquest of the Pridelands. There was work to be done and it started at dawn and ended at dusk – later if you were on watch duty, though Almasi and Danyal had refused to allow cubs on the night watch thus far. There was always something to do. Koron and Inti had taken to hunting or training, with or without Almasi's permission. Although, Sara had joined in on the sparring on occasion, she cared for her mother too much to deliberately defy her wishes, even though they seemed unreasonable at times.

Once upon a time, she might have objected to such an early rise, but now it would have seemed futile, even childish. Like many in the rebellion, she had a job to do and that was irrespective of her age. On top of that, Sara remained simultaneously both a Pridelander and one of the rebel former slaves.

This of course, put her in a rather unique position when it came to promoting the cooperation of the two groups and despite Sundar's initial concerns, Sara had become immensely proud of the former fighters. They had, against expectations, begun to adapt to Pride life. Slowly perhaps, but more every day, many of the larger predators were hunted alongside the Asiatics, though there was more competition to it than she would have liked. The problem was not in simply getting them to work together, but forming the bonds of friendship and trust to allow such cooperation in times of stress, without conscious thought. That had been a difficult task. Of the slaves, Sash had been supportive so far, but the jaguar sisters were still self contained and solitary as they had been the day they had arrived with what Sara was now mentally merely referring to as _The Pride _– regardless of species.

Jahi's arrival had been a chance to change that. Her brother had made himself busy, ensuring that Jahi and his family were recognised and welcomed by their fellow slaves. Since Jahi and his family had no connections or links to any group, it had been Init's hope that Jahi could be a common link between the Asiatics and the slaves. Unknown to both groups, yet working with both groups. Unfortunately for her brother, the slaves had thus far treated Jahi with scorn, suspicion, even malice and Sara couldn't bring herself to blame them. She resented the former servants of the Shai'tan, despite acknowledging that they hadn't committed any of the atrocities that Rish'ut's wilddogs had. It was the idea that they _might _have and not had any moral misgivings over such an action that troubled her.

Koron, albeit cynically, had told her it was merely an icy response to Jahi's previous behaviour. Jahi's actions might have been forgiven by the vast majority of the Pride, but they had not been forgotten by any of them and certainly not by Sara. It was easy to despise the leopard for what he had done. It was easy desire ruthless vengeance against him. They had done as much to Seba.

Seba.

She hadn't thought about the wildcat in some time. He had deserved what he had received of that she had no doubt. But if they had been prepared to execute him, should have not have done the same to Jahi? What would have happened if Seba had returned days later, begging for forgiveness? Would Danyal have granted it to him? What about Harrin and the dogs who had captured them and killed so many of their friends and allies? Would they be accepted, if they had renounced their allegiance to the Shai'tan? After everything they had done? Where did the line end? When did forgiveness give way to weakness? Compassion turn to naivete? Mercy to madness?

She didn't know.

That troubled her.

Sara shook herself, trying to make sense of it. Her sleep had been restless, filled with such thoughts. She knew that Jahi was nothing like the dogs. She had already admitted to the King that Jahi had _not_ been present in Golgorath and that he had _not_ personally inflicted any pain or brutality upon her or her friends.

She shuddered at that memory. Sometimes, it felt so long ago and others, only days ago. The dark, the heat, the searing pain. Hunger, fear, anger and pain. Lonely bitterness and the fear that her family had forgotten her, or given her up for dead. The horror of the prospect, the very thought seared her even now. She shook herself again. She was safe now. Her family were here. Danyal was here. Koron and Inti and her mother and Damu and Vitani and all of the others were close by. Only a few paces away, in this very den. There was nothing that could be done to her here. She didn't need to fear shadows or the ghosts of memories.

Opening her eyes once more, she recovered her composure. The day was young, but there was work to be done. Work that could no longer be put off. She forced herself up and looked around the den. The rebellion was several animals beyond the size of a typical lion pride now and it housed many different animals. The lions and lionesses of the combined asiatic and Pridelander prides, lived in two distinct dens.

They were not quite caves, for they had only one solid wall, with the rest exposed to the elements. It granted them shelter but little in the way of security. For that purpose, there were also at least a pair of animals on sentry at various points throughout the night. The dens were merely dugout caverns, under the the overhangs of giant boulders and despite their time here, she could not conjure a familiar sense of home to them. Danyal had claimed one to himself, marking it within the first few days of claiming the throne and looking over, Sara could see the young lion now slept alone, curled atop a slight platform in the centre of the den. Sara was certain it had been Vitani's idea to imitate the raised dais of Simba's den back in the ruins of Pride Rock. At his feet, Sundar, Lukaan, Vitani and Almasi slept nearby. It was no coincidence that their greatest warriors had taken positions around their King even as they slept. Most of the youngest of the slaves slept there also, though Sara had her own suspicions that it had been Danyal's condition for allowing such a blatant show of force. In the second den the other lionesses, Damu and the older slaves. At least the slaves who did sleep in shelter.

Between the panthers, leopards, cheetahs and wildcats there were plenty among them who preferred to sleep under the stars. Koron was one of those, (and was why she had not seen him around them) and had blasted Danyal with an intensely withering look when he had suggested that Koron might prefer to sleep within the shelter offered by the cave. Sara could sympathise with him. The cells of Golgorath had been cramped and reeked of both blood and waste. They were claustrophobic, tiny places and to have spent as long in there as Koron had would have left _anyone_ with an aversion to stone walls and ceilings as they slept.

She left Danyal, Inti and the other sleeping members of their tentative rebellion and finally left the den. She nodding to the sentries as she passed them and made her way to their small supply of water, to take a drink and clear her head, before doing anything else. Five-Stones was not famed for its large water sources, but there were enough small pockets they could drink from them healthily for a few more weeks before they would need to find a permanent water source. Although it had not occurred to Danyal yet, Sara had no doubt that Vitani had already taken full stock of their situation and come to the same conclusion.

When she raised her head from the water, she heard the soft tread of a creature behind her and turned. It was one of the leopards who had travelled with Jahi. He was watching her tentatively and looked anxious when she turned to him.

"I am sorry." he said. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you." He told her. Sara shrugged.

"No worries." She said and resumed her drinking. When he made no motion, she lifted her head. "There is no line, there is plenty to drink, for now, if you wanted some, no need to wait for me to finish." He said. The leopard nodded in thanks.

"Much obliged." He said and joined her, watching her still.

The leopard was not fully grown. It was difficult to gauge his age, from his size, seeing as how much smaller leopards and cheetahs were in comparison to lions. He still outstripped her in both size and age though and she guessed he was aged somewhere between Inti and Helio's age, younger than Danyal, but far closer to his age then hers. He took a drink, finished, and didn't move away.

"Can I help you at all?" Sara asked. The leopard looked uncertain.

"Umm... My name is Talib... My friends call me Tal..." he said. Sara said nothing. The leopard looked uncomfortable, despite being over a year her senior. He seemed nervous around her, as if expecting her to snap at him – which, in fairness, she was tempted to.

"You are one of Jahi's family. I saw you come with him. Kiava was generous." She said, stopping herself from calling Danyal by name only at the last moment. She hadn't been as sloppy in weeks. It would not do to let herself slip up. Tal nodded, smiling at the reference to the King.

"We... didn't dare hope, but Kiava was true to his word. When we heard the rumours that Kovu's Son had survived, we couldn't _not _try to join you, whatever the dangers. Truth be told though, I had been frightened. Even if we survived the trek here... we didn't know how he would... you know. I thought for a moment he was going to have had us killed..." Tal said. Sara tried not to grimace at the thought. She wouldn't have objected to strongly, or that passionately if he had.

"Please. Kiava would never do that." Niether would the _real _Kiava for that matter. It was preposterous to think Danyal would even for a moment entertain the idea. Even so, Tal smiled at the reassurance.

"You sound awfully certain of that. But we didn't know for sure." He admitted. Sara thought back to the young leopards. They had seemed older than this one, but even so, Sara couldn't imagine Danyal ordering the execution of any of them. He was no murderer.

"Yeah, well, I know him. He wouldn't have executed you for it. Or even turned you away. I'll admit though, I was surprised with how well he treated Jahi. There were plenty who wouldn't have minded..." She said frankly. Tal seemed unsurprised at that remark, but did twitch slightly.

"You know the King well? You?" he asked in confusion. Sara frowned.

"He was there when I was born and as I grew up. Of course I know him." She said. Tal shrank back.

"I meant no offence! Honest! I was just surprised." He said. Sara finished drinking.

"Well, now you know. I grew up around him. That doesn't mean he doesn't surprise me once in while though. Letting Jahi stay for instance." She said and turned to leave. The leopard's eyes widened.

"Wait!" He said quickly as she turned to go. Sara blinked.

"What?" She asked, trying not to give in to a rising irritation.

"I am sorry. Its just... Well... yesterday, I was talking to the... the other slaves..." he began.

"_Former slaves..." _Sara corrected him. _And let us not forget the reason why they were slaves._

"Yes. Well... they said that you were in Golgorath... the Citadel of the Shai'tan, for several days, but no one would tell me more than that. That was why I was surprised to hear you knew him well... I thought you came here with the slaves. They wouldn't speak to me, or Jahi." Talib asked carefully. Sara winced.

"I came _back _with the slaves. But it is true... I was a prisoner of the Shai'tan for... a time. As were most of the other slaves. We were put their by dogs, jackals and other blasted servants of the Shai'tan and made to fight over scraps of meat like maggots beneath a rock. We were beaten, starved and tortured." She said, her eyes flashing angrily. To hear him complain of the slaves not talking to him... _what did he expect? A Welcome party? "_So I sincerely apologize, but if they are treating your father with suspicion for the time being, they are hardly the ones to blame for that. You made your choices. What do you want?" She asked. Tal looked taken aback at her bluntness, but he bit his lip on whatever he wanted to say on the subject.

"I wanted to know. If while you were in Golgorath, while you were there, did you ever encountered my parents?" He asked. Sara blinked in surprise.

"Parent_s_? You mean Jahi is not-..."

"No. He is not my father. He is not my family at all." Tal said, sounding irritated now. "Jahi found me after I had been injured by a wilddog raid... my parents were captured for defying the ban on unsanctioned hunting. Jahi was sent to investigate their den for other _thieves_." He turned to one side and displayed four rugged lines running down the length of his back. Dotted twists. Unmistakeable bitemarks. Deep scars. They would have bled heavily. "He didn't turn me in. He kept me hidden after they wilddogs moved on and then let me travel with him, asking nothing in return. When asked, he simply claimed that I was his youngest son and no one argued. He saved my life." And now his own eyes flashed in anger. "So, please allow _me_ to apologize if I respond to his treatment with a little frustration for the time being. Not everyone _has _a choice. Not everyone is so generous with their blood." He snapped. Then swallowed, thinking perhaps he had gone to far, bowed his head to the cub, something Sara had seen Calin do when apologising, which she found odd.

"Forgive me, lioness_. _But I did not come to discuss Jahi, nor our treatment thus far. We are grateful for the mercy we've received and the generosity of your King. Beggars such as ourselves should not presume to demand _respect_, when pity and compassion are rare enough to find these days." He said. Sara paused, feeling slightly guilty and also revising her opinion of the leopards.

"Why was it you sought me out?" She asked, seeking to divert the conversation. Talib sighed.

"I just told you how my parents were captured by the wilddogs. I don't know what happened to them. I was hoping that they had been taken to Golgorath. Did you see them there? Did they escape with you? Or did... did they...?" He asked, not wanting to go on. Sara suddenly felt a stab of pity and berated herself for her hard heartedness towards to the young leopard. She shook her head.

"I didn't see many leopards in the Black Tower. Large Felines were not that common – though we managed to save all we could find there... We didn't manage to rescuse a single prey animal that was being held there during our escape. There were a pair though, one an older female and one younger male, that survived the pits in Golgorath. The female was recaptured during the escape. She died atop Golgorath when the Emperor slaughtered all of the ones they had recaptured in vengeance for our escape. Golgorath is empty now. The Blood games are over now." She let that sink in. At least, no one else was being tortured there.

"And the other one?" Talib pressed. Sara sighed.

"He was killed during Asamode's attack on the Glade. That was the last battle we fought before escaping here. We lost a third of our number there and he was one of them. But I don't think either of them were old enough to have cubs." Sara added quickly. Talib sighed.

"They _were_ rather young when they had me. It caused a bit of stir among the leadership of the Leopard Tribes... The mating ceremony was rather quick once it emerged my mother was pregnant, or so I am told." Talib said. Sara shook her head.

"No. It wasn't them. I can't remember their names, but Koron would." She admitted, feeling guilty about it. But so much had happened since then and she had never known them well. "Young though they might have been, they were not _that_ pair." She added, still wishing she could remember their names. Inti would have been disappointed in her.

"I should not have hoped... I need to know what happened to them. If they were not within Golgorath, then they'll have been murdered by now. I wish I knew where they were buried. If I could get there someday... Anyway... I fear that they were executed and left to rot in a ditch in the middle of nowhere." Talib said sadly. Sara winced.

"I am sorry I cannot be of more help." She said honestly. If her own mother had been killed, it would have been terrible, but not to know how or when or where or why, would have been even worse...

"You should speak to Koron if you think it will help, but if your parents _are_ dead, then they are not buried at Golgorath. Which is for the best, either way. Better for them to rest among the plains and savannahs of the Kingdom. Better that they sleep beneath the open stars, then in the dark of Golgorath."

"Was it really that terrible there?" Talib asked tentatively. Sara shuddered at the question.

"I still have nightmares about it. Sometimes during the day." She admitted, but without elaborating into further detail. Talib gave her a sympathetic nod. Then he stood up.

"Thank you for your assistance, lioness. I shall not bother you longer." he said formally as he moved away. Sara paused, as he walked off. What was it about leopards, and their formality? Danyal was slowly breaking Calin of his habit – but even he could surprise her sometimes.

"Sara." She called after him. "My name is Sara. And you were no bother to me. I am sorry for my rudeness." She said softly. She had obviously misjudged the youth. Thinking she should offer more than that, she spoke quickly before he left her sight. "If... you want to talk some more later, come and meet my brother and Koron. Although I'd understand if you don't want to." She offered, thinking back to her bluntness earlier. Talib was clearly a good leopard and Jahi had saved his life. Had she really presumed to be so arrogant as to judge him based of one decision? Would others judge her based on her decision to kill Seba? Or judge Danyal on his decision to take the throne when it rightfully belonged to Kiava? It was madness to judge them for their actions without knowing the context of the choice. She wondered if Danyal kn-

Who was she kidding? Of _course_, Danyal knew. Likley, he knew first. Of _course_ Danyal had seen through it in a moment. She had simply been slow, as ever. A few paces behind, again. She almost groaned.

"I'd like that..." Talib said quietly, but smiled. Sara nodded.

"Tal? Please try and have patience with the Rebels, if they seem a little... hostile for now. Everyone is still a little raw. That battle that I mentioned, where we lost a third of our number?"

"Yes?"

"We lost so much because of a single traitor. Someone we thought we could trust chose to turn against us and as a result, many of our friends and allies died, including Vitani's mother, and Ghareth and Harten." She said.

Talib didn't recognise the names, but he was sensitive enough to know that they were important to them from her tone.

"Was the traitor caught?" He wondered aloud.

"Yes."

"And did Kiava execute him?" Talib asked.

"No." She said. _I _did. But she didn't say it aloud. Talib nodded.

"Don't feel that you need to explain your actions towards us. As I said earlier, I will not have it said that we were ungrateful. We will take what little compassion is offered." Talib said.

"But even so-"

"I _know_, Sara. I am no stranger to scars. But some people's do not show as visibly as mine. I would be a fool to expect theirs to heal overnight solely for my benefit." He pointed out, giving a smile, before bowing once more and leaving her standing alone by the waterhole.

* * *

She was left standing there for a moment. How odd. But the morning was getting on, and she needed to find the other rebel leaders today. She made her way back to the den. With Ras and Rei otherwise engaged, it had fallen to Inti, Koron, herself and the two Jaguars, Karina and Darina. The others were up now and the sentries had swapped during her absence. She could see Inti and Koron together when she approached the den, and she knew for a fact that Darina would be spending her time this morning with Sash, the only panther cub left. That only left one person.

"Has Karina left yet?" She asked one of the sentries, whom she saw was Forn, their resident wilddog. The wilddog stamped the ground in salute.

"Yes, Lady Sara. She was speaking to the King at the time. I believe they travelled east," He barked and pointed. "They won't have moved far from the group, but I think that they wanted discretion." He added. Sara nodded.

"Thank you, Forn." She said and departed in the direction he had pointed.

* * *

The grass in the area surrounding their hideouts was rather long and considering her own height, could be whip-like if she ran too quickly, so for now she moved at a leisurely stroll. She was in no hurry for now. She remained in this state when she finally encountered Danyal. The young lion had awakened and was already in deep conversation with Karina, as Forn had guessed. The Jaguaress, displayed deep red marks on her hip and down one leg; wounds suffered from the Battle of the Glade. She was lucky not to have suffered a worse fate.

"No, Karina. The answer is _No_!" Danyal reiterated, with some exasperation. Karina shifted.

"Your majesty, I am begging you to reconsider! I can't just lay around all day, I need to get up and about and doing something!"

"What you _need _is healing. You are still injured form the last attack. Apart from which, I am not planning on sending _anyone_ on hunting-raids into Imperial Prideland territory, least of all one who is suffering from such a sustained limp!" He said firmly. Karina winced at the comment.

"My King, I promise I shall _not _fail you again!" She said, sounding almost pleading. Danyal started and blinked.

"Fail me? I don't see your injury as your _failure_, Karina, but if I gave you orders that resulted in your death, I would see it as _mine!" _He said._"_You are _not_ to undertake such activity while you are recovering from your injuries! You remain one of our best fighters, I've seen lionesses with a fraction of the tenacity that Inti has described you as possessing, but Sara also described you as being a very quick thinker, who has smarts as well as brute strength. If that is the case, tell me honestly, would you be of any assistance whatsoever to this pride if you managed to injure yourself even further on a pointless run into dangerous territory?"

"You were quick enough to trust the Panther's with their mission!" Karina snapped, not answering the question.

"Ras and Rei were instructed to scout the area from here to the Zulu, only! _Not_ to take the offensive action that you are suggesting, which for the record, I would be hesitant to initiate if you _were _fully healthy. Furthermore, their skill sets made them _ideal _scouts." he said, not unreasonably, but also sounding irritated by the continuing argument.

"So I am useless to you, until I can fight again?" Karina asked acidly. Sara winced. Ouch. But was unphased, in fact he barley raised an eyebrow.

"Don't be foolish. You and your sister are not only some of our best fighters, you are Sara and Inti's most trusted lieutenants and I trust their judge of character. Aside from which, you and your sister are the only ones out of any of us who have encountered the final two Shai'tan." He said. The Jaguaress looked confused, So Danyal simplified it.

"I defeated Sekmet. And Zira appears to have defeated Rish'ut. Amun is missing as well, but that still eaves at least four Shai'tan. From what Zira told us, we know a little of Mortread and likewise we know even less of Asamode. We were fortunate not to have fought them in the glade without anything else to go on." He said, counting off the Shai'tan on his claws as he listed them.

"Then the other two..."

"When we finally come to fight Raeveal or Leviath, you will be essential and that means I cannot afford to risk you simply because you are growing bored of the healer's work!" He said sharply, but no unkindly. The jaguaress looked partially mollified at that but sighed.

"As you command, Your Majesty." She said, leaving. When Karina had departed, Danyal sighed, looking anxious. Sara nearly went after Karina, but hesitated for a moment. Danyal sighed, and began to mutter curses to himself as soon as Karina was out of earshot. Sara waited a moment, before announcing her presence.

"Danyal." She said and he jumped, turning around, before smiling.

"Ah. Hello Sara." he said. The young lioness hopped over to him, smiling.

"You handled that well. Karina usually doesn't sit still for anyone. But I didn't know she was as eager as that to prove herself." She pointed out, as the two lions made way back to the den. Karina had wanted to make her request some way away from the others, just in case it had been denied, or Danyal had taken offence.

"She and her sister have never had anything even resembling a family life. The Pride offers something new to it, and she is desperate to help protect it. Desperate enough to do something stupid while injured. In truth, I sympathise her. She's suffered a serious injury that means she can't hunt for the time being. She walks with a severe limp that will likely never heal entirely for the rest of her life. I know how it feels to be dependant on others. The helplessness can hurt more than the injury..." He pointed out. Sara glanced at his scars and stopped. Part of her didn't want to ask, but after listening to him speak, she knew that eventually, she would need to. She took a deep breath.

"Danyal..." She said slowly. The young lion turned back towards her. She hesitated.

"How _did_ you defeat Sekmet? When the dogs took us, I saw her. You were pinned to the ground by Sekmet's claws." She said. Danyal regarded her for a moment, before sitting down. He glanced at the injury on his left claw arm.

"Sekmet was... Arrogant. She _could_ have killing me when she had the chance. But I had insulted her. Rejected her so very _generous _offer." He said bitterly. For a moment, Sara was confused, before understanding dawned.

"Oh. She had asked you to join the Shai'tan. Like one of their dogs."

"Not like a dog. She offered me power. She seemed to think that I'd leap at the chance to be made a Lord. Someone with power and status in their Imperium. If I swore loyalty to the Shai'tan, that my cubs would rule kingdoms." He said, making a frown as if he had tasted something sour.

"Why would she do that?" Sara asked. Danyal shrugged.

"At a guess? The Shai'tan might well be allies, but I will bet you anything that there is huge competition between them. A single Shai'tan can't possibly control all of the land in the Imperium, not even a fraction of it. Not if they are expected to fight on the front lines at the same time."

"If they did..."

"If they did, then the Imperium would disintegrate. I think that in the heartlands, on the continents, across the seas, there are more creatures, like the Shai'tan. Not Tigers and not as powerful, but loyal and cunning. Good regents must be hard to find so I guarantee you that the Shai'tan snap up promising individuals whenever they get the chance. We know of a few... Abyss, the Serpent-Lord, was merely a pawn of Sekmet... but when she was killed, Jahi tells me that he joined up with Amun when the Shai'tan went to the Shadowlands. Likewise, the dog Pack-Leaders that Vitani and others discovered while scouting around Golgorath, would have been forced to attach themselves to another Shai'tan, or risk being sidelined in favour of new favourites. I guess Sekmet had hoped I'd help cement her standing among the Shai'tan..."

"So far not a single Shai'tan has a lion loyal to them. A few nomads and rouges might pay respect to the Imperium and the Emperor, but none of them are attached directly to a single a Shai'tan, or involved in the fighting." Sara said thoughtfully.

"That is my guess at anyrate. Or rather, that is how I would organise an Empire. Perhaps, if we kill Ben-Kai-Ra, they'll need an imposter to rule his Empire? Kiava can have his kingdom back." Danyal joked. Sara smiled, but then hesitated.

"You told Sekmet that you wouldn't do it." Sara remembered. Danyal winced.

"Yes. Quite forcefully actually. I made it clear that I would rather die. She was going to oblige me. Slowly. Fortunately for me, Vitani arrived just in time to spare me death, but not agonising pain. Vitani fought Sekmet for a time and when it looked as though Sekmet would overpower her, I grabbed at her and dragged her over the edge of the cliff. Sekmet was impaled upon the spires below and I struck the rocks, shattering my back. But I survived. Barely." He said, though his eyes flickered to a deep injury in his flank, one of many where the skin remained twisted and knotted and scarred.

"All of that because of _me._" Sara whispered quietly.

For a moment, Danyal frowned in puzzlement eyes widened in pure horror. For a moment he seemed stunned. Then he did something Sara did not expect in the least. Danyal leaned down close to Sara and nuzzled the back of her neck, as Almasi had often done. Sara flinched for a single a moment, before reciprocating the movement. His breath was warm against her skin and she was reminded of all those months ago, running with only Danyal between her and the desert's rage.

"_That was not your fault. Don't ever think that for a moment. Not Ever."_ He whispered to her softly.

And in that tender moment, all of the guilt she felt, all of the pain she felt when seeing his injuries, all of the courage she had been holding on to, broke beneath her and she could feel tears begin to sting her eyes.

"But... If I hadn't been so weak... If we hadn't run _straight _into that ambush..." She managed to choke.

"Sara..." He said softly, and she turned around to look at him, tears visible in her flame orange eyes now. He held her gaze. "I did everything I could do to rescue you, I would do it all again, pay the same price and _more_ if I had to. I did what I did because I _wanted_ to. You are _not_ to blame for what happened to me. If anything, I am to blame for what happened to _you_. If _I_ had been faster, stronger, I could have killed Sekmet before her dogs had captured you. Blame me, if you need someone to blame, but don't ever blame yourself." The young lion said. Sara stared at him. For a moment, she wanted to ask _why? _Ask what was so special about her, that he could endure so much, and risk everything for her. But even as the thought occurred, she knew the answer. It wasn't her. There was nothing special about her. There was something special about _him. _He was simply the kind of lion who would risk anything and everything to save the life of a child.

She looked at him now as if with new eyes. So much had changed since the Shai'tan's conquest. Danyal's mane was ragged now, where before it had been smooth and elegant, almost refined. The dried hints of blood where it hadn't been cleaned properly was apparent on one side. His face and form were scarred. His arms and legs were muscled and even his stance was different now. He held himself like a warrior, a ruler, rather than the uncertain youth he had been before. And yet, he was still Danyal.

But his eyes, green as emeralds, like star fire, set in his dark brown fur. They shown now, and Sara felt something surge within her. She was certain that from this point on, she too would pay any price if it meant saving his life.

There was something else there. Something beneath the surface. Something turbulent, a feeling that was new to her, its warm touch alien.

"Perhaps if I had been faster... But who can say what would happened?" He said slowly.

Sara nodded. That was true. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a third voice reached their ears.

"If you hadn't been captured, you would never have met _Me._ Or any of the rebels. We'd still be rotting in Golgorath. That's something, I guess." A third voice said. Both Sara and Danyal turned in surprise to hear it. It was Koron, and an unusually optimistic sentiment for him to express. Though perhaps that was unkind. Koron was changing as well in the weeks since his release.

The dark cub was strolling towards them and he was not alone. Vitani also made her way towards them and she was flanked by Lukaan and Sundar who was further accompanied by Helio. The three asiatics followed Vitani and Sundar smiled to see Sara evidently taking her advice to speak with Danyal. Sara smiled shyly when she saw her.

"Nor, would we have encountered your Pride." Lukaan added. Danyal stood up, looking annoyed at the intrusion.

"Can I not have even a moment's peace!?" Danyal snorted.

"No." Lukaan, Vitani and Helio said flatly. "There is a matter which requires your attention, Danyal. It cannot wait."

"You are the King now. There is no such thing as free time." Helio pointed out. Danyal sighed, then turned back to Sara.

"You should not feel... like that." He finished, not wanting to elaborate further in front of the others. What he had shared with Sara seemed private. Vitani though, was not fooled and looked at the cub sadly.

"It is far too late to think of possibilities and potentials. What happened has happened. It does not do to speculate on how things _might_ have worked out. It was no one's fault. The fact is that now, we have ended up with allies we would never have had if different things had happened. Speaking of things that have happened, where did you disappear off to this morning? If the sentry hadn't seen you, we'd have been concerned for you." Vitani said. Sara shifted.

"I just went for a drink and spoke to _Talib_ – one of the leopards travelling with Jahi. I think we should make more of an effort to bring them in among the others sooner rather than later... I was... mistaken to think I understood them. They had their reasons... Whether we agree with them is another matter, but that doesn't mean that they were callous in their action." Sara said. Koron raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to spend any more time among traitors than I have to – until that prove themselves trustworthy." Koron said firmly. Sara sighed.

"I don't think that we need fear them." She said.

"We trusted Seba and it nearly got us all killed, as we had no reason to _distrust _him. We have _every _reason to distrust Jahi and his family." Koron said. Danyal cleared his throat.

"It was _my_ choice to welcome him and his family here. If it turns out that I _am_ mistaken, then the blame will lie with me... but until such a point Koron, I would ask that you and your followers keep that in mind." He looked at Vitani.

"Now, tell me why you have all come together like this? Have I screwed up somehow?" Danyal asked. Helio laughed.

"Oh, if only. If you'd had, I'd have been the first to let you know." He said, smiling. Danyal made a choking noise.

"I find that very easy to believe. So what's the problem?" He said dryly, though he gave a soft smile at that. Helio had long ago buried any animosity he held towards Danyal. Jealously might arouse one to criticism, but Danyal had fought beside his asiatic counterpart so many times that despite their previous confrontations, the two could count on one another. There was no real malice there now.

"Beats me." Koron said, turning to Vitani. "_She_ said we needed to discuss something important and that I could make my self useful by coming along." he said. Vitani flatly ignored him.

"You've done a remarkable job so far. Karina and the other heads of former slaves, have been won over. I had been concerned that many would want to go their own way, but you have convinced enough of them that they have a real chance against the Shai'tan if we work together. More than that, you've shown them that they _can _work together." Vitani said stiffly. Danyal grinned.

"I like to think I have done a decent job so far. At least, I haven't broken anything."

"You have done brilliantly!" Sundar said, grinning. Lukaan nodded at that, the white lion looked pleased.

"That said, when Rei and Ras return to us, we should be prepared to consider our next move. Jahi and his followers are but the first step. I think we should extent our paw to the survivors of the cheetah tribes and the leopard leaps." Vitani said carefully. Danyal nodded.

"Try to raise more fighters. That seems like a good plan. One question: Have you decided yet what our target should be? We decided that we needed a target to unify remaining fighters. A symbol of unity. Any brainwaves?" He said. Vitani shook her head, looking frustrated. There was nothing short of suicide they could try.

"Not yet. I can think of nothing... But... Lukaan and I have been discussing something else that might have the same effect for the time being. As well as eliminating the final division in the Pride; that divide between the Pridelanders and the Asiatics."

"Is that a problem?" Danyal asked. It seemed as one problem was solved, another came into being. Helio sighed.

"I wish it wasn't... But there is an unspoken question among the Asiatics and that is, _what happens to us _if we _do_ succeed? Do we return to what is left of the old Imperium? Even if we break the Shai'tan's power, that land is overrun with their supporters and followers. The truth of the matter is that we are the edge of extinction as it is." Lukaan said. He glanced at Helio, and Danyal noticed. Helio was the only male Asiatic left who wasn't a pawn of the Shai'tan. "Do we succeed here, only to die off one by one?" Lukaan asked. Danyal clutched a paw to his head, groaning.

"I hadn't thought of that..." Danyal said slowly. Vitani nodded.

"You weren't expected to, its an issue for Lukaan. But it doesn't have to be. The hard truth is that the asiatics survival is now permanently bound to the fate of the Pridelanders. As the problem is that as things stand, they remain a very separate entity to the rest of the Pridelanders. They remain..." She searched for a word. "...foreign... something alien to these lands. If we are to survive together, then this situation cannot continue. They have spilt and shed too much blood for that." Vitani said. Lukaan nodded.

"It... has lead to some very difficult choices. Hard decisions have had to be made." He said. Sundar blinked at that. "Fortunately... Vitani has come up with a plan." He said. Vitani nodded. The solution had been evident to her from the beginning, though it had taken some time to convince Lukaan as to its necessity.

"So... What is this grand plan of yours?" She asked cautiously. Her last plan had been to install Danyal as a False-King. An action which in any other circumstance would have been punishable by death.

"There is an old saying, that Simba was very fond of... _We are One. _That stands true now as it did then. Not just between the Outlanders and Pridelanders, but between the Asiatic and African Prides. In order to permanently merge the fates of our Prides... we must make that saying a reality. By becoming One Pride. In every way." Vitani said softly. Danyal blinked.

"What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"Danyal... You have done a wonderful job so far. But when Kiava returns to us, he shall take your place as King. He is still young, but before long, he will take the Crown, the Throne... And eventually, he will take a Queen. To that end, I intend to announce to the Pride, _that Kiava has been betrothed to Sundar. _t give the asiatics a stake in the fight to come. Their union will unite the Prides completely, for generations." Vitani said.

There was stunned silence.

Sara's mouth dropped open.

Koron looked amazed.

Helio started.

Lukaan looked away, saying nothing.

Danyal leapt to his feet looking aghast.

Sundar felt as though the ground had disappeared beneath her feet.

There was absolute silence as this was digested.

Then Helio shattered the silence. He howled with laughter. He shrieked with mirth, before turning away grinning, the hilarity completely lost upon Sundar and Danyal.

"Oh, that is just brilliant. That is fantastic." He stared at Danyal and Sundar, who looked aghast.

"Good luck sorting this out! Why am I surrounded by _fools?"_ He said, stalking away, chuckling as he did so. Vitani watched him leave in confusion. Sundar now was just beginning to recover her voice.

"_WHAT?!" _She hissed, staring at her father in absolute shock. Vitani blinked, but Lukaan looked shocked.

"Sundar – wait. I know this sounds bad, But I need you to think about this for a moment...-"

"_Father." _She made the word sound like an insult. "How dare you... how _dare _you-"

"Sundar-"

"Dad! How could you think to..." He voice dropped low. "When did you planon _asking _me about this?!Don't I get a say?! Don't I get a _choice_!?" She stood up, incensed. Danyal was just beginning to find his own voice.

"That's insane!" he said suddenly. Vitani glared at him. "You can't do that!" Vitani shifted.

"His parents are dead, and I am his only living relative. So of course I can make decisions about him."

"About him! Not _For him! For King's sake, he's a child!, He's just a cub! He can't have a mate – its insane!"_

"Don't be a fool, Danyal. I am not suggesting Sundar mate with a cub for moment. Merely that we announce their _betrothal_. It would be in _name_ only until they were both of age!"

"But Kiava is-"

"No younger than Simba, Ahadi, or Mohatu were when they were betrothed - to lionesses that they all ended up falling madly in love with. As for the age difference, Mohatu was dozens of months older than his mate and they ended up perfectly-"

"But to betroth them without either of their consent, that's _barbaric_!" Danyal almost shouted. Vitani scowled.

Sara's head whirled. Danyal seemed desperate.

"As it happens, Danyal, Its a _tradition_ of the Pridelands, one that the Asiatics share. Perhaps you were expecting something else, but royal marriages are a delicate business! Kings and princes have a duty to their people that supersedes any personal wishes, as well you know! That extends to every part of their lives! Life isn't a fairy tale!" She snapped. Danyal growled. Lukaan meanwhile was trying to reason with his daughter.

"-Can't believe that you'd go behind my back, without telling me?!"

"This _is _me telling you! This is a real chance for you, Sundar! An opportunity!"

"A CHANCE! A chance for what!?"

"A chance to win _back_ something! You were going to be a _QUEEN, _Sundar! My brother was going to leave his Kingdom to _you! _You should have had _everything! _That future was destroyed by the Shai'tan, but here is a chance to take it back! We can have a home again! This could be the start of something great! A Pride of both Asaitcs and Africans, ruled by one of each! A new era for us all, in the age we defeated the Shai'tan." She said.

The two cubs looked at them all as if they were mad. Koron looked completely bemused, but Sara looked aghast at both Vitani and Lukaan.

"But... What if Sundar doesn't love Kiava?" Sara asked. Vitani winced. Cubs. Such a naïve view of the world...

"I _don't_ loveKiava! I've never met him!" Sundar protested.

"_Love _him? I am not expecting you to love him – nor him to love you! This would be a _political _union, Sundar, one which we would reap the rewards of for generations!" Vitani said. Lukaan bit his tongue.

"Vitani is right, Sundar... This offers you... _offers us... _so much. We can't afford to turn it down. Our kind faces extinction, if we don't do _something. _We have a duty to our Pride, to do _anything_ that could spare us that." Lukaan said. Sundar could have despaired.

Danyal stood up, his throat dry. There were a hundred things he wanted to say, a thousand things he wanted to scream. But he could not find the words. Anything he could have said would have sounded hollow. It would not have expressed what he was feeling, if for one moment it _could _be expressed in something as mundane as word. The rage he felt, the empty void of... what? It felt like loss. Like grief. But what had died? He choked out a few words.

"Vitani... Why didn't you... involve myself or Sundar in these... discussions, _before now!_?" He said, horsely, his head low, his mane covering his eyes. Vitani looked surprised.

"Involve _you_? I would have, but you were concerned with other matters. Seeing as this is the union of the..._real... _Kiava, rather than yourself, I didn't see the point-" She didn't managed to finish. Now Danyal's head jerked up, his face twisted into an angry sneer.

"Well next time, _do _see the point! Don't you DARE try to hide things from me again! If not me, why didn't you tell Sundar?! Are we all pawns to you?" He said viciously. Vitani stepped back, upon seeing the odious glare he held for her. He looked back at Sundar. The lioness was standing motionless, her mouth agape, in absolute shock.

"We _are _telling Sundar, right here and now!" Vitani protested. Danyal ground his teeth and seemingly without conscious thought, emitted a low growl that made even Sara shiver. For a minute, she thought that Danyal about going to rip Vitani into shreds. Sara didn't like what she saw in that moment. There was a horrible glint in his eye, but much more than that, a terrible sadness, as if a gulf had opened up inside him.

Then, even as she watched, she saw a change come over him. It was as if something had winked out inside him. His eyes lost their usual brilliant intensity, he seemed to sag as he exhaled, looked exhausted. He was pale, almost ashen faced. He swallowed. Then he looked away.

"...I... Guess they make good points Sundar. This will be a good thing for... the Pride. The things we do for _duty. _I am starting to _hate _the word. Either way, I cannot stomach anymore of this talk." He meant that literally. He felt his belly coil, and wanted to vomit. With that, he turned away and left them standing there.

"Danyal – wait!" She began, but he had already gone. Sara watched him leave in shock and heard the pleading tone in Sundar's voice. For a moment he looked back, but then he left without another word. There was something in the way he walked that Sara found shocking, something that made her feel, anger. Something that made her feel bitter.

Danyal clearly wasn't angry or indignant on Sundar's behalf, he was well and truly incensed beyond measure. She could almost see it, a jealous and wrathful shadow forming behind his eyes, before it was banished. But Jelous of what? There could only be one answer.

As if to provide further validation of her thoughts, Sundar had recovered from her shock and there was a terrifying anger building with her as well. Ice like and merciless. She rounded on her father and for a moment her claws seemed to unsheathe.

"_You... How could you do this...?" _She almost spat. Lukaan looked shocked and hurt.

"Sundar, I would never want you to be unhappy! This is a chance for you to become a _ruler. _A _Queen_! I thought you would be-" he trailed off. Sundar was staring at him and stalked towards him.

"Go on. _Say it." _She almost whispered. "_You thought I'd be __**pleased**__! Pleased_ to give up all of my own dreams in the name of honour and duty_!"_ The outburst was bitter and Sara took a step back, hearing what everyone else seemed to miss. That she had dreams of her own. Dreams of mating? Her confusion could not be rectified though, as Sundar growled with fury.

"_You really think that I would be __**pleased**__ to be sold like a piece of meat for a price named behind my back! __**Pleased**_to sell my body for power and land!_" _She rounded on Vitani. _"No! I am not your mother, Vitani. I have more pride than that!"_

"_Sundar-"_

"_I will never forgive you for this, and I promise you, I will mate with the Lion that I love and no one else! I am not Zira." _She stepped back as if struck. Sundar hadn't known Zira long – nor had she grown up in the wake of her tyranny. What Sundar said could only have been said from spite and Vitani growled her own anger beginning to boil. Lukaan however, looked tormented.

"Sundar, I am _begging_ you to _listen to me!_ – Please! You know that I would never-" He took a step towards her. That was a mistake. Now Sundar let out an howl of bitter anger and rage and her eyes flashed a brilliant and terrible sapphire for the briefest of a moment. She was enraged. She could feel it welling up within her. There was crack, as half a dozen bolts of lightning bust into being around her. They shimmered with harsh brilliance. Then, with a crash and an almighty *bang* as is blasted out before her, striking at the ground in front of Lukaan.

The ground before he feet shimmered.

He stumbled back, staring at the ground, upon which he had been standing was encased in rigid ice, crystallising before his eyes. The frostswept grasslands hardened into spears of shear ice.

She wasn't even breathing heavily from the effort. Without another word, she turned her back on her father and left. Lukaan watched her leave and made as if to follow her. Vitani held up a paw.

"No. Does she look like she wants to talk now? She needs to work out her anger... And then she'll be able to reason with again."

"If she doesn't want-"

"At least give her a chance to think about this clearly, before we rule anything out. She is mistaken if she thinks I am going to let this go easily, given what is at stake." Vitani said, sounding almost cold, angered. The two left in silence, leaving only Koron and Sara standing there.

Sara slowly breathed out.

"I... Don't believe it. _Kiava_? With _Sundar? But... _The very idea_._" She said. Koron shrugged.

"It clearly doesn't sit well with her. Or with Danyal for that matter."

"You think?" She snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Koron rolled his eyes.

"Kings and Queens have never picked their lovers. There is always too much at stake and at a time like this? They'd be fools to let their own feelings override their duty... Even so, you have to feel bad for Danyal." Koron pointed out. Sara frowned.

"Why Danyal? Its Kiava who'll be mated with her, not Danyal." She said. Koron smiled, but there was no pleasure in it.

"And that, Sara, might well be the problem." Koron said, sounding unusually concerned. Sara started, her own throat going dry. So she hadn't imagined it.

_You think Danyal is... In love with Sundar? _She wondered, but she didn't ask the question.

The question that she wanted to know the answer to, was altogether more complex.

_Why does it bother me so much, if he _was_?_

_Why does Sundar loving Danyal, fill me with dread?_

She didn't ask the question. Instead she blinked and tried think of something else to say.

"But it seems so cruel. She clearly feels nothing for Kiava." She tried. Koron shrugged.

"Vitani said it. Nobody expects them to fall in love overnight... But you can'tfail to feel _something _for a person you're that close to. It would take work, but there is no reason why they couldn't be happy _eventually. _This won't ruin her life, whatever she thinks." Koron said pragmatically. Sara swallowed, a bitter taste in her mouth.

"You are a real romantic – you know that?" She pointed out. Koron smirked.

"Romance can't kill a Shai'tan. It can't save your life." he pointed out. Sara backed away.

She was confused and hurt and full of conflicting emotions she couldn't name.

_Why does it frighten me? _She wondered to herself. _Is this... Envy? _It wasn't pleasant.

What is this feeling? This feeling of loss and And why does it hurt so much? _What _is this making me feel? And why?

"Maybe it can't save your life." She said. "But there are those who would say it made life worth living." She pointed out.

But she couldn't stand any more.

She turned and ran away, leaving Koron looking bemused.

_Not envy. Loss._

_She felt as though she had lost something._

_And for the life of her, she couldn't tell what it was._

* * *

_**AN:**_

_**Wow, if you've made it this far impressed. It was a tough chapter to write, so I am guessing it took a while to read!**_

_**Lots to cover here...**_

_**Firstly, Talib and Sara,**_

_**Talib is not a literal translation, but it is, (according to my sources) an Arabic/African name, roughly meaning: One Who Seeks, or Seeker. Which I thought was appropriate. I liked the phonetic structure of it, seeing as it matched other leopards. Jahi, Selen, Calin, now Talib, etc.**_

_**Then there is Sara and Danyal. I like writing this pair, since they have a very interesting relationship that isn't quite the same as any of the other characters. Any verdict on how this is going?**_

_**And of course, we can't forget about that final sequence... Danyal and Sundar being told that Vitani intends to betroth Sundar and Kiava.**_

_**How many of you saw that coming?**_

_**Of course, politically, it makes perfect sense. Its a very logical thing to do, and odds are, when they are older, they could form a workable relationship. The issue, is that marrige (or matings, in this case) shouldn't have "Workable" relationships.**_

_**I am anticipating hate mail for doing something so monumentally cruel to Danyal and Sundar...**_

_**As always, leave a review, and I will get back to you. :D**_


	12. Chapter 11 - Defending One's Honour

**Good morning all.**

**As I write this, I am hoping the chapter will be a little smaller than some of the more recent chapters, but even so, I hope you will enjoy the experience.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get up! It was **_**really **_**hard to write. I mean, I would get through about five lines, then get really... I don't know... blocked.**

**It was intended to be a far smaller Chapter, but things… escalated. Again. Sue to its length, I encourage you to write the review as you read it (an open Notepad doc might do the trick), just in case you forget anything.**

**Anyway, the title of this chapter, refers to two different characters, in different situations.**

**But firstly, the review responses:**

* * *

**Author:**

Thank you very much!

I'll admit it doesn't sound ideal for Kiava or Sundar, but it's hardly the worst thing that could happen. Kiava and Sundar are both good people, they both get something out of the deal and they are both capable of helping their Prides.  
They've already said they'd give their lives to save their people. This isn't as big of a sacrifice, surely?

Remember though, that the older members of Lukaan's Pride are about Vitani's age, or slightly younger. Kiava's future off spring (Assuming he survives long enough to have cubs) would be the age equivalent of their grandchild!

Who else do you ship I wonder? I am assuming not HelioxSundar, or SaraxDanyal, based on that, but I'd be curious as to what you think.

As for Talib, yes, he is a good guy. Will he be a hero? Well, you'll have to wait and see for that… But you will be seeing more of him.

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Sara is growing, that much is for sure. Emotionally and physically.

Perhaps Lukaan should have known better, but I think this was classic Vitani. Strong, firm, leadership, characterised by hardship and self-sacrifice. She expects of others what she would give without hesitation and I think it offends her that others wouldn't.  
Koron doesn't know much about Kiara and Kovu, given that his upbringing (the little of it that was outside of the Shai'tan's domination) was contemporary to Kiava. As such, outside of the Lion Prides, the Story of Kiara and Kovu wasn't widely told, since it hasn't had time to evolve into a consistent story. Simba, Mufasa, Ahadi and Mohatu are however, known stories throughout the Pridelands (and as such, he and his family, despite being nomads/rouges, would have been familiar with the tale).

Thanks for the review!

**Sandydragon:  
**Thank you for this review!  
I was so pleased to get this. It really made me smile!

Your analysis of Vitani is very accurate. But then, she runs off logic. She is a logical person.  
She doesn't really "get" love. She's seen it in her brother and she recognises its power, its strength and its inherent goodness… But she's inexperienced with it. She's always cut off emotions that might be a weakness, thanks to her mother's training.  
Speaking of training, good catch! Sundar's control over her powers is improving significantly and could end up being very important.

On other thing you mentioned: yes. I loved writing that scene with Danyal and Sara. I thought it was a really nice scene that helped resolve some of the undercurrents between the characters. Of course that has been replaced with the new undercurrents (of Sara's new found love for Danyal), which could cause some more problems down the line.

Thank you for the kind words! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

**LoveNeverDies:**

Ah… Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could get a happy ending? Unfortunately, there aren't enough pairs to go around… Not everyone will end up with the love of their life (And it's sad to say, that to Helio, Sundar really is that. He is truly in love with her and is even now. That's why he found their plight so amusing. He found the irony hilarious.)

Kiava would never fight Vitani though. As much as she clashes with Danyal that is one other area where Danyal and Kiava are very different. Vitani is the only family he has left, he would never allow a fight, even one this serious, to damage that. I gather you suspect Kiava will not be impressed with her idea of creating a false Kiava?

Is Vitani wrong for prioritising the needs of the many over the needs of the few? They can be sad about it, of course, but do Danyal and Sundar have a right to jeopardise the Pride over a brief dalliance? (Bear in mind, neither have been in love before). Sundar is very beautiful, Danyal very handsome. Both intelligent, kind and (As Sara and Helio demonstrate) neither would have any problem attracting other mates… Besides…

There are… Less scrupulous ways of pursuing one's affection _despite _marriages. If Honour isn't an issue.

Speaking of which…

* * *

**Chapter 11: Defending One's Honour**

* * *

The outlands were not a pleasant place to train. Not exactly a desert, but a desolate wasteland nevertheless. It was hot during the daylight hours, cold in the nights and appallingly dry whatever the hour. It wasn't the heat that made it, but the lack of rain which made it such a living hell. Rish'ut might have grown used to the place, but Mortread still itched for the cooler lands to the south and not for the first time, wished that they had taken Pride Rock as their Citedal over the surrounding lands, rather than Golgorath.

But for all the Emperor's many qualities, it could not be denied that he possessed a sense of Drama and the imposing peaks of Golgorath, turned black in their own shade, eclipsing the sunlight, _were _impressive. Still, he ached for a chance to head south.

Or west. Or north. Anywhere but here.

He had walked through jungles where trees towered high into the sky, trees that seemed as mountains. He had stepped across grassy plains, green as emeralds and he had climbed to the top of the snow peaked mountains that marked the very eastern boundaries of lands far to the east of the Pridelands. He had gazed down from the top of the world.

It was beautiful, vast and terrifying in its magnitude and its expanse. It encompassed mountains, oceans, plains, forests, swamps and everything in between.

But he was stuck in the outlands, watching the wilddogs train. The beasts were beginning to infuriate him. There were a _few_ intelligent commanders among them, he would readily admit. Leaders, schemers, brutes with a sense of hierarchy. But that did not mean they had military geniuses. They were not stupid. They were not hyenas. They were not fools, in his opinion. But they were frustratingly single minded. Extremely linear thinkers, not given to the complexities of strategy and thinking multiple steps ahead of the foes. They had tactics, but nothing further developed than that. Nothing to keep them ahead of the game.

Which meant that they required a firm paw and rigid direction. They needed to be guided by the wiser, more powerful beings of the world. Much like most of the Imperium. Or the Pridelands, for that matter.

"_**Pathetic..." **_Asamode muttered. Mortread shifted and turned to face his college, whom he had not heard approach. He didn't give away his surprise. Let Asamode assume he had been ignoring him.

"_**You despise the wilddogs." **_It wasn't a question. Asamode laughed.

"_**Of course! They are pathetic creatures. Weak. Stupid. No ambition, no spine."**_ Asamode said, smirking.

"_**That might be because you execute any who challenge your orders. You inspire them to fear their individuality." **_Mortread pointed out, without looking up.

"_**Perhaps. But that makes it fun. Keeps them on their toes." **_He said, grinning. Mortread shook his head. Of all of his brethren, Asamode was the single creature he disliked the most.

"_**So to what, do I owe this pleasure? It's unlike you to watch our forces train. The task is beneath you, on most occasions." **_Mortread asked, curiously. Asamode raised an eyebrow.

"_**I've been sent by the Emperor. You are being too slow. Princess Castella-Ra might have managed to swing it so that the Emperor gives you the ghost of a second chance, but what use is **_**that**_** if you do not seize the initiative? He grows impatient. And angry." **_He said gleefully.

"_**Perhaps I seek to plan first? To ensure I have the knowledge, the skill, the understanding to act swiftly and decisively, rather than flailing around like a stuck pig? Something that might have assisted you when you lost us The Mountain. Shein's Spear, it was known as. Shein's pebbles now." **_He snapped. Asamode shifted.

"_**I don't see you planning. I see stalling. I see your **_**weakness**_**. You fear to try, because you fear to fail again. You always were the weakest of us all Mortread. I see your **_**planning**_**, as what it really is! A pathetic excuse to avoid a test you know you will fail." **_The Shai'tan laughed. Mortread swallowed resisting the urge to strike out, to engrave his claw marks into Asamode's face. He tensed. Then smiled politely.

"_**Somehow, **_**that**_** doesn't surprise me. I wouldn't expect you to see a cunning plan if it was dancing in front of you." **_He said simply. Asamode growled in anger, then chuckled again.

"_**Oh, Mortread. You really are a fool... A cunning plan that can be **_**seen**_**, has already failed. My schemes are all the deadlier, because they strike invisibly… When no one expects…" **_He chuckled, grinning.

"_**Invisible to all? Then that explains it! All of your great accomplishments have been invisible! That's why we can't see them! Silly me."**_ He laughed. Asamode scowled, but didn't answer, so Mortread continued. _**"Do you plan on revealing Kiava's invisible corpse this evening? What about the rebellion's invisible armies?" **_Mortread asked. Asamode hissed at that.

"**You dare to **_**mock**_** me?!"**

"_**Why shouldn't I? I allow you to mock me, Asamode – only because it amuses me to hear your thoughts. I like the sounds they make as they bounce around. Sort of like seeds in a nut shell." **_Mortread said and gave an infuriating little smirk. Nearby, a wilddog chocked back a laugh. Asamode whirled around, his claws already extended, eyeing the fighters ready to slice at the one who had laughed, but he couldn't see who had spoken. Mortread cleared his throat.

"_**An interesting demonstration, Asamode, but as you can see, the dogs lack the appropriate claws to replicate such a move. Perhaps you will have better luck with the Jaguars? Leviath is bringing a tribe of half a dozen over from one of the Western Continents." **_He said. Asamode turned back to his contemporary.

"_**You jest. But soon you won't be laughing. You think you are so clever, hiding what is obvious to all who see. I can see nothing more than a frightened Tiger Cub, playing at being a warrior. Rish'ut might have disliked you, but he respected you. But he is dead. Sekmet is dead. Even Amun's pedantic prattling has been silenced. How long until your own tongue is removed, Mortread? All your allies are dead and your favour with the Emperor is about to run out." **_he said. Mortread stiffened.

"_**Amun is dead?**_" Mortread said. Asamode laughed.

"_**Oh Yes. That's the other reason I was sent here. He was killed in a battle at Carrocscirr. So undignified. The fool got himself killed. He was one of those most outspoken about your place among us, Mortread. It must be disappointing to lose him."**_

"_**How did a pack of rabid hyenas bring **_**him**_** down?"**_ Mortread shook his head.

"_**Who cares? The fact is that they did. I wonder when they'll come for you. Killed by Hyenas? Yes, I can see that happening quite easily."**_

"_**Careful, Asamode! I am a Shai'tan the same as you, I am easily your equal -" **_Asamode howled with laughter, interrupting him.

"_**My equal? That's the best joke you've ever told! I didn't know you had a sense of humour."**_

"_**I am not laughing."**_

"_**Please. You didn't join the Shai'tan out of respect for our master, nor to grab hold of power. You followed us out of fear, because you daren't do anything else! You are no different to the filthy dogs you lead so well! We **_**all**_** know that the only reason you were even offered a **_**chance **_**was because Castella was whispering in her father's ear! If it weren't for the chaos, if he hadn't been fatigued from fighting Shan-Yi, he would not have listened!" **_Asamode hissed.

"_**You only see what you want to see, Asamode and it blinds you." **_Mortread said, sounding unconcerned. If he didn't impress Asamode, so what? He was an arrogant fool, _insane_ as well, even by the Shai'tan's standards.

"_**I am not so blind that I don't see the way you look at the Princess! And I can see how she looks **_**back at you!"** Asamode snapped.

"**What is that supposed to mean?" **Mortread asked, going cold.

"**It's a truly moving love story, really. Truly, one of my favourites. The Princess and her loyal knight. But the thing is, Mortread, you're not a hero. You're a mercenary who sold your loyalty for power – the same as the rest of us!"**

Mortread froze at that. He was suddenly aware that there was silence. The wilddogs had stopped training and now listened, curious, as Asamode grinned slyly.

"_**Now I know there is nothing in that skull of yours..." **_Mortread said, scowling.

"_**Really? Such a shame. It really is a good story. And good stories have a terrible habit of spreading. Eventually, even the Emperor might hear of it. I don't think he likes stories." **_Asamode leaned in close. _**"**_**You ought to be careful, if you were hoping for a happy ending. The best love stories end in **_**tragedies**_**.**_**" **_He said quietly.

"_**If you have nothing else to say, take your sorry carcass out of here. Your stink is beginning to burn my nostrils. Go, before I rip out your tounge. You know that I would do it…" **_Mortread said, no longer caring. Asamode laughed.

"_**Now there is the fire of a true Shai'tan! No, there is nothing else, Mortread. Just a warning. Find Kiava. Find the Rebellion. Do **_**Something. **_**Or the Emperor's patience will soon run out." **_Asamode said.

"_**Are those his words, or yours?" **_Mortread asked. Asamode smiled, but said nothing. He turned and stalked away, his tail swishing in the air.

Mortread watched him leave, looking troubled. Then he turned to the dogs.

"_**Harrin."**_ he called out. The commander snapped to attention next to him, leaving the training in a moment.

"Sire." He said.

"_**Fetch Castella."**_ He said slowly.

* * *

"_He said what!?" _Castella gasped. Mortread nodded. Castella sank to her knees.

"Well damn..." She said and began to swear under her breath. She shook her head. "I _hate Asamode. _He's a monster. The things I've heard he's done... to tigresses... and others." She shuddered.

"Should we worried? If he knows..."

"_**He's a liar. Who would believe him? Besides, I don't think he was threatening me, he was trying to unnerve me for some reason."**_

"Perhaps he fears you will become the most favoured of the Shai'tan, if you succeed, where other's failed?"

"_**Perhaps. But I have never taken him to be one much concerned with what others thought of him**_." He pointed out.

"That is true." She conceded.

"_**Never mind him. There is more: Amun is dead."**_ Mortread said. Castella sighed.

"A shame. I liked him. He could be a real bore and he was always so _bitter_, but he was a pleasant enough tiger." She said. "Well, that settles it. Even my father's patience is not without its limit. According to Asamode we've reached it. We'll have to get moving. We've managed to comb through a large part of the Pridelands. We'll go to the remaining areas in full force, rather than sending scouts ahead."

"_**We?" **_Mortread asked.

"Of course. Sekmet, Rish'ut and Amun are all dead. I am coming with you and watching your back."

"_**Of course you aren't! You're the princess!"**_

"I am aren't I? Given that piece of information, how do you suppose you're going to stop me?"

Asamode made his way out Mortread's battalion's. It had been most amusing riling the youngest of the Shai'tan. With any luck, he'd be so incensed he'd get himself killed. But even if that were not the case, he could deal with Mortread whenever he wished. Leviath and Raeveal were more of an issue. He doubted he could kill both of them at the same time – but that said, Marsade had arranged for Leviath to assist with his own little project. He could pick them off at this leisure. In the meantime, he didn't want anyone actually hunting down Kiava just yet. Not when doing so would bring the Shai'tan together. He grinned. Speaking of loose ends to tie up...

"_**Muerte..."**_ he called. Above him, he could see a Vulture circling. He swooped down and landed before him. The vulture bowed.

"My Lord..." It simpered. Asmaode stared at it.

"_**You have been instructed to relay a message to Abyss from me correct?"**_

"Aye. That is so." The messenger said. Asamode smiled.

"_**Good. It is this: O**_**n no account is he to withdraw.**_** He must fight the Hyena's to the last creature. We will execute any who run as traitors. Make sure he understands, that he is to defeat the Hyena's there, or die trying. Am I clear?"**_

"_Perfectly, my Lord." The vulture said and in a single swoosh of his wings, had lifted himself high into the air and was on his way. He circled around Golgorath, as if searching for something out of sight. And then, without any fuss greater than a brief flicker of light, vanished through a Gateway and _Muerte was _well upon his way._

"_Long live the King!" _The Hyena's cheered, as Kiava and Asante made their way down the pathways into the area the Hyena's had taken for a base. The atmosphere was excitable, almost electric. The Hyena's had tasted real victory and watched a new King snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

It was a shallow pit, for the most part, barely a league from Skeleton Canyon, with behemothian spines and bones wedged into its side, like steps of the great spiral staircase. There were also (to Kiava's relief) half a dozen different tunnels _out_ of the pit, in case of an emergency, emerging at half a dozen different points. It was, in his view, as secure a location as they were likely to seize, but importantly it also held one of the Shadowlands precious few large water supplies, in the form of a faintly green lake. Asante assured him the unusually pigmented water was due to minerals below the ground and was fine to drink, although it did taste a little funny to him. Bitter, sour even.

The hyenas were celebrating, which was an odd sight to see. They yelped and laughed and shrieked among themselves, some of them even attacking each other (though without injury) in their enthusiasm. Several zebra had been slain and generous portions of the meat sliced up and shared about. Shenzi had been anxious on this, given the overall meat shortage, within the Pridelands and the Shadowlands, but Banzai had insisted that the soldiers be allowed to celebrate nevertheless. There was a drunken, euphoric atmosphere to the celebrations. By now, the news had spread. Amun had been killed, his wilddogs slaughtered or fled, even his elite battalion of jackals – feared for their ferocity and intelligence compared to their wilddog counterparts, had been completely routed, disappearing into the wastes where they would starve or desert the Shai'tan's forces. They were not the only jackals in the service of the Shai'tan, but they were the only ones that the Pridelanders were likely to come across for months.

Which left Abyss and his serpents as the primary threat to the Shadowlands. Kiava knew, that with and when that threat was extinguished, they would be free to focus their attentions upon the Shai'tan themselves.

In all, there was now a new hope that had not been felt by these creatures in what felt like a lifetime.

"Kiava!" Zuri shouted, barging her way past the hyenas to get to him. He grinned when he saw her.

"Zuri!"

"Where have you been all day?" She asked him, sounding curious. He had departed that morning without a word to anyone. Kiava shrugged. "I was with Asante, scouting out the surrounding valleys and carverns. This place is huge! There are entire structures beneath the surface of the ground. You could hide an army here… Which I guess is the problem. We have a general idea of where Abyss's forces are hidden, but I wanted specifics before we –" He said. Zuri's eyes bulged.

"You went out there alone?!" She gasped.

"Relax, Zuri. I just said that Asante was with me the whole time." Kiava said, dismissing her concerns. Zuri shrugged.

"But you went _looking _for a giant army of venomous worms! You're putting a lot of faith in her powers, Kiava. I don't think it's a good idea. Even _she_ doesn't understand them and we don't really have any idea what she can and can't do with them. You shouldn't stake your life on them." Zuri said, sounding annoyed. Kiava shrugged.

"What did you do while I was scouting?"

"Not much... I spoke with Bhagari a little, you know, Asante's lieutenant? He's also a very popular commander... Banzai thinks that he's the best we have in terms of strategy. Other than that... not much. We're just hanging around now, waiting for the snakes to show up..." She said. Kiava paused.

"You've not been celebrating the wilddogs defeat with the Hyenas?" He asked her. Zuri shook her head.

"No. I didn't know where you were, or when you were going to pop up again with something to do. Besides... I don't have much... in common... with the Hyenas." She said. They were nice enough, she guessed, but their crude humour, temperamental attitudes and rough horseplay set her on edge. Not that she hadn't tried, but some of the Hyena's had taken to calling her 'Princess'. If Kiava was the Prince, the only other lioness in the vicinity, was the Princess in their eyes. There was nothing malicious in their comments, but Zuri still disliked being left alone with the Hyenas – though not as much as the apes and Timon had. She didn't say as much to Kiava – there was enough for him to deal already. Nevertheless Kiava winced. Oops.

"Ah... Sorry about that." He said. Zuri shrugged. No worries, she meant to say. But she didn't. It still stung. Asante didn't seemed bothered both it.

"Don't worry yourself, Princess! You need to loosen up! Things are starting to go our way for the time being! We should enjoy it while it lasts!" The hyena laughed. She pushed past Zuri and made her way to a small area where half a dozen hyena's Zuri recognised as being from the shadowpup pack. Zuri sighed.

"We'll catch up!" Kiava shouted after her, but the matriarch's daughter had already disappeared into the mixing and moving hyenas and he lost track of her almost at once. Rather than follow, he turned to Zuri.

"What is the matter?" Kiava asked her, sensing something was bothering her. Zuri shrugged. She was about to open her mouth to say so, but was interrupted by the arrival of Bhagari. He recognised hyena by his dark coat that, even compared to others, seemed to make him disappear into the shadows. His stripes were only slightly lighter than the rest of him and his eyes were a greenish yellow. Once upon a time, he would have terrified cubs. A generation of bedtime stories demonising hyenas should have been harder to dispel, but both Zuri and Kiava found him to be pleasant, smart and quick witted – an uncommon trait in a hyena, even by their own admission. Bhagari, for his part, seemed to enjoy talking with Kiava and Zuri, whether it was yet another cunning scheme to employ against the Shai'tan, or a discussion with Kiava about one of the histories or legends told among the Hyena Clans (Kiava's avaricious hunger for Pridelands lore and history, had expanded upon hearing tales from Shenzi and Bhagari, that had never been told in the Pridelands.)

One such story, was a dark tale, that Kiava could decide was true or not.

The Pridelands had erased much of their history prior to the establishment of Pride Rock, out of forgetfulness, necessity, embarrassment, or simply over time. In an age not long after the _Age of the Lion Lords_, when the Prides were barely established, in the following _Age of Cowardice, three _subsequent generations of lions had been Kings in name only, being merely the puppets of a manipulative triumvirate of a Hyena, a Jackal– and their senior, a River Lord. The threesome had ruled as the power behind the throne for three generations before being ousted from power by a powerful Lion Prince who fought with the aide of the Leopards, Panthers and Cheetahs. Although he had died in the fighting, they had crowned his son, Judai, High King of Pride Rock – or so Kiava had been lead to believe for much of his life. Even Danyal's copious histories, legends, myths and bedtime stories hadn't gone back much further that that crowing moment. The moment in which the Age of Kings had begun. The first of the Great Kings.

And yet now, the wilddogs who fought for the Shai'tan, had whispered of an older legacy. An Age of Kings from a time _before _the Lion Lords. One lost to the ages, by all but a few dubious sources. Hadn't Ben-Kai-Ra, claimed to be descended from a Tiger who had waged war against the primordial Lion Kings? Shien Something? Perhaps, there really had been Lion Kings _before _that point…But looking back so many generations back was mind boggling.

Sadly, the hyenas' histories didn't go back much further, although they did tell frightening stories of _Matriarch_ _Uchawi_. Supposedly, Warrior, Queen and Shaman all. Fighter, Ruler and High Priestess of her own cult of savage warriors, who was alleged to have lead a clan ten times the size of Shenzi's own, which was on the larger side of the clans around the Pridelands. Bhagari had told them the story, (despite him being more of a fighter than a scholar himself. Although, in fairness, this applied to most hyenas.) Of course (at this thought, Zuri rolled her eyes) Kiava had been enthralled from the get go. The young lion simply loved stories, whoever was telling them.

Perhaps one day, someone would tell his?

"Zuri! So, you found out missing royalty then?" Bhagari asked, snapping Zuri out of her musings. Zuri snorted.

"The King and his court _magician_ were scouting out Abyss's forces. Without telling us they were doing it." She said tartly. Bhagari only laughed.

"And she says I am getting careless! She'll bite of far more than can swallow someday... But not today it seems. If you wanted chow, you'd better get going before it's all gone. Even for Hyenas, some of these fighters are like locusts." He said. Kiava licked his lips and followed.

For the time being, they had more than enough meat.

They no longer had as many mouths to feed.

* * *

They made their way where a group of hyenas were gathered and planted themselves down there. It earned a few grunts from those already present, but for the most part, the hyenas were engrossed in their food. Bhagari pulled several limbs worth of zebra flank out of a pile. Most of it was still perfectly fresh, which was a bonus and the lion cubs dived into it with the anticipated vigour of a pair of half-starved lions. It felt odd not to have to hunt for oneself after so long on the run from the Shai'tan. The thought sent a pang across Kiava's heart and not for the first time, he thought back to Vitani, Inti, Sara, Danyal, Damu and Almasi. It had been months since they had parted ways and even now he still worried for them. Did they even know he was alive? What would they be doing? He had to trust that they would be keeping themselves safe and that they had not yet fallen prey to the Shai'tan. It was a strange thing to think that, perhaps soon, he might be reunited with them. He was distracted by the crash of the pair of hyenas. Zuri gasped in surprise as they landed nearby.

"What are they fighting about?" Zuri asked. Bhagari laughed.

"Fighting? They aren't _fighting_ about anything. Why don't you take a closer look?" He suggested.

Zuri took another look around, not just with the group they ate with, but among all of hyenas. They ate in little circles of no more than a dozen in size. And in each circle, a pair of hyenas wrestled and fought, rolling over one another. And now that she looked properly, she could see that there was no malice to it. The onlookers eating, picked sides and cheered on friends and packmates. They were not trying to beat one another senseless, but were sparring (and, being hyenas, were being beaten senseless at the same time). Kiava chuckled at the sight.

"They're only sparring." He explained, to the surprised lioness. He was right. They were fighting with each other, as they had once fought over food at the behest of Sarafina, the victors taking choicer cuts of the meat, the losers waiting in line. Everyone was served in the end, but the better fighters, at least among the warriors,

The pair of hyena's crashed into the ground next to him, with one finally forcing himself upon the other and grabbling at the hyena's throat. Although his opponent thrashed around, it was clear who had won the fight and after a moment, he surrendered, to the cheers and boos of the onlookers. When the hyena's stood up, Kiava blinked. The victor shook her head free of sweat. It was Asante! Kiava hadn't recognised her, but now her vicious fighting style was evident.

"Come on then!" She called out. "Anyone else want to try? Hmm?" She asked, giving a snigger. "What about you, Your Majesty?" She asked Kiava. The young lion shook his head.

"Um, no thank you." He said quickly. She shrugged.

"What about you, Bhagari?" She asked. The dark hyena chuckled.

"Oh no. Not after last time." He said. Asante laughed.

"Seriously? Is there not one among you brave enough to challenge me?" She smirked, looking them all in the eye, still giving that arrogant smirk. "Who has the heart of a Lion?" She asked.

"You sure you don't want to try, Kiava?" She asked again. This drew cackling from some of the shadowpups, as Kiava shook his head.

"No thank you." He said again, more firmly this time. Although the sparring had proven popular with the other hyenas, he didn't think it would be a good idea to take part himself. For one he wasn't sure if he could beat Asante and even if he could, he wasn't sure if he ought to or not. Besides, he had enough of sparring for his meat under Sarafina.

"Come on – you took on Amun! You can't tell me that you're scared now, Your Majesty?" She pressed him. Sighing in irritation, Zuri stood her up, her patience finally worn thin but her jabbing.

"Spirits, Asante! He _isn't_ scared of you, stop whining. It's _pathetic._ Besides, there's no point in anyone trying when you've got your fancy magic tricks to fall back on." Zuri said, feeling irritated. Asante's smile vanished at that.

"What?" She asked. Emboldened, Zuri smirked.

"I mean come on! It's no contest really. What have you got besides your spooky shamanism? Nothing. Take that away and you'd fall _first, _out of your shadowpups." She said. Kiava stared at her, looking concerned. He opened his mouth to say something, but Asante growled.

"Me?" Asante growled. The last traces of her smirk vanishing. Now she growled, showing her teeth. How dare Zuri suggest... She was a fantastic warrior, even without her gifts! She was far more than just another shaman, or another hyena! She had earned that right! Anger gripped her. "Coming from you, that's a bit much! What have _you _got, besides your friendship with Kiava?" Asante snapped.

There was something in the air now. The friendly rivalry was ebbing away. The hyenas could sense it. The friendly chatter was quieting now. Mow, they looked from Asante to Zuri, looking cautious. Zuri slowly stood up.

"And what..." She said slowly "Is that supposed to mean?" She said. Asante cocked her head.

"Kiava's already proven his courage and his strength. He defeated _Amun._ What have you accomplished in that time? You're just following him around like a lost pup! If anyone is pathetic, it's you!" Asante snapped. Zuri blinked, her eyes narrowing. Suddenly the air had gone cold. Zuri stumbled back. That was a lie. She had so much to offer Kiava! He had said as such on numerous occasions! Sure, now that it wasn't just the two of them, they had spent far less time together and now that Kiava had dozens of spies and soldiers to call upon, of course, it made sense that he'd scout with the creature best equipped to do so! She was still valuable though, just because she didn't have magical powers.

"Oh, forgive me. H0w many Shai'tan have you killed? Even with your magic powers? You think you're unstoppable, because of your gifts! But even _with _them, what have you ever actually done? You've not killed any of the Shai'tan, you've just sat here! While hundreds of others fight with everything they have – and die for it! You, Asante, despite having powers greater than any of us, you sit on them! I am not the greatest warrior on earth Asante, but at least I am not a coward! I gave up _everything _to follow Kiava!" She said angrily. How dare this... _hyena..._

"Okay!" Kiava shouted, standing up. Next to him, Bhagari had climbed to his feet, looking angry.

"Both of you need to calm down!" He said. Zuri and Asante glowered at each other. In less than a minute, the joyful celebrations had turned into something nasty. Both Asante and Zuri brimmed with anger.

"No! It's quite all right!" Asante said surprisingly calmly. "If you think you're so tough... How about _you _come here and prove it?" She said. Zuri's eyes became slits.

"Fine."

Kiava and Bhagari looked at one another.

"Umm... I don't think-"

"This probably isn't a good-" Was as far as either of them managed to get, before the two of them rounded on them.

"_Stay out of this!" _Asante and Zuri snapped at the same time. Both Bhagari and Kiava stepped back. They looked at one another nervously.

Asante and Zuri faced one another in the centre of the circle for a brief moment. Then, they launched themselves at each other.

Asante struck first, snapping forwards with her powerful jaws. The young lioness cub and the adolescent hyena were roughly equal in size (slightly half the size of a medium sized lion), but the hyena was quicker. Zuri only barely managed to avoid the bite. Asante's jaws clamped around thin air though and suddenly the advantage went to Zuri, who swung her paws in quick and vicious swipes, her claws drawn. Asante cursed as she scratched at her and ducked away. Zuri charged after her, growling as she did so.

Asante dived to the side, swiping with her own claws. They were quick, but lacked the power Zuri's had and although her sudden change in direction scored a direct hit on Zuri's unprotected flank, it did nothing to stop her onslaught. Zuri only growled in pain, rearing on her hind legs for a moment and then slamming down both paws with her whole body weight, sending Asante flying. Kiava started at the force of the blow and Asante was left reeling. Zuri leapt forwards, pressing her advantage as Sarafina had always drilled into her, swiping left and right in quick patterns, intending to prevent Asante from getting any momentum into her own blows.

Asante was lithe and quick however and after taking a moment to anticipate Zuri's fighting pattern, darted under a blow aimed at her head and just like that, had crept under Zuri's guard.

She bit at Zuri's neck, slamming her with shoulder at the same time, sending Zuri stumbling to the ground. The lioness gave a grunt as the air was knocked out her. Asante snapped again, grabbing hold of one of Zuri's arms and jerking her head away. Perhaps if she had been fighting a real enemy, the effort would have snapped the bone. As it was, Zuri shouted in pain and stumbled away, her balance pulled from under her, twisting herself, trying to keep herself behind her twisted paw.

She shouted and slashed at Asante, aiming this time not for her head, but into her stomach. She slammed her paw into her belly with huge force. Once, twice and on the third powerful blow, Asante was forced to grunt and gasp, releasing Zuri's arm.

Kiava stared at them frantically. There was no bleeding yet, but Kiava had no doubt that the wound would be bruised horribly within the hour.

"Both of you! Stop this! You're going too far!" He tried to shout over the din. Even the hyenas were looking nervous now. But neither Asante nor Zuri paid any head to him. Asante snarled with anger and rushed forwards, aiming to crunch down upon Zuri's neck, to take a hold so powerful, Zuri would be forced into submission, but Zuri coiled like a serpent and then to the surprise of all gathered, leapt upwards and over Asante. She twisted in the air and landed facing her, crouched low and then sped forwards. The entire move took less than a second, but Zuri slammed into Asante, knocking the hyena to the ground and landing on top of her. There was a collective gasp, as Asante jerked for a moment. Then Zuri found her balance and growled. Asante was pinned.

"Who's pathetic _now?" _Zuri hissed.

Asante snapped up at Zuri, who flinched her head away just in time. Then struck at Asante's unprotected face. Asante's eyes widened for a moment, as the claws scratched into her face. Bhagari moved forwards, retraining himself and Kiava growled.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted as Asante barked, grunting, but still not giving in. Kiava was confused – Zuri had bested her, surely? Any fight among her hyenas wouldn't have gone on this far. Zuri growled again, raised her paw again and this time Asante hissed.

"AARH!" She shouted. There was a huge bang. Sparks seemed to fly around her, as the smell of mint filled the air. Light burst from her eyes, huge tendrils of whispery white smoke coiled around her and then, like a next of coiling vipers slammed into Zuri's chest. The blast of air struck Zuri in the stomach. She cried out as the ground vanished beneath her, propelling her high into the air. Kiava shouted. Bhagari yelled. Asante's eyes narrowed, as she crawled to her feet and struck out at the air. The coils of wind twisted and writhed, spinning around Zuri who seemed to tumble through the air and threatened to crash into the ground. Asante gave a shout, closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled. She seemed to whisper a word and the winds subsided. Zuri fell and landed roughly, though far gentler than she would have if the turbulent winds had thrown her about. Kiava remembered Marsade's attack on the Tree Of Life. He recalled how Danyal had been plucked out of the air like a twig in a storm and thrown against the tree with enough force to break branched. Though he had never complained of any serious injury, Kiava doubted that he had escaped unscathed.

Zuri scrambled to her feet and looked ready to continue the fight. Asante however turned away.

"No." She said, causing Zuri to hesitate. "That's enough... You've proven your point. You _are _and_ an _excellentfighter. My apologies for making light of your skills, Zuri._"_

"_It wasn't my skills you insulted."_ Zuri hissed, looking angry.

"Iam _trying _to apologise." Asante said. Bhagari looked annoyed. "The both of you were _vile._" He said angrily, not caring who was watching. Asante flinched.

"Bhag-" She tried to say.

"No! Stop it! You are supposed to be _allies! Friends even! _This is the first alliance we've had with the Lion Kings for generations! We've a chance here to _change course of this world's fate! _You're supposed to be showing the clans here that we can work together!_"_

"_But-"_ She tried to say, but Kiava growled.

"_Enough! _This is _over. We could be facing Abyss any day now and I want you both at your best_! Not killing each other!" he said angrily. Asante growled.

"She was the one who insisted I was worthless without my powers!" She snarled.

"You said I was worthless – period!" Zuri snapped back.

"WHY ARE YOU BEHAVING LIKE CHILDREN?!" Kiava roared. He looked angry now and Zuri took a step backwards. Asante looked unsure. Then she sighed.

"Zuri... I apologise. I was..."

"You were being arrogant and got caught in the moment. Then you said things that you _know _aren't true to try and goad a fight and went far beyond what you thought you were getting into, am I right?" Kiava finished for her. Asante hesitated. Then nodded. Kiava shook his head and rounded on Zuri.

"You, ought to have been able to tell the difference between her trying to goad either of us into challenging her and trying to start a real fight. _You _were the one who escalated this into something that nearly ended very badly. You're lucky you two didn't injure each other!_" _He said looking irritated. Asante looked around.

"Ugh! This day has been one big waste of time. First, we spend hours in the dust without finding a trace of Abyss and now... Ugh." She shook her head. "Everyone clear out. Try to get some rest. Party's over." She said. The on looking hyenas stood up and left quickly, glad to be out of such a toxic situation. Bhagari shook his head in disappointment and left as well, with Asante stalking away. That left only Zuri and Kiava. When they were alone, Kiava sighed.

"What has gotten into you?" He asked her. Zuri snarled.

"Nothing! Other than that _arrogant _piece of-"

"You struck her in the face – _while she was pinned down! You would never have done that to me!" _He snapped.

"She deserved it! All that talk about being unbeatable, _someone _had to bring her down a peg and it wasn't going to be you, so I decided to wipe her conceited little smirk-"

"She was celebrating winning a match, there was no malice to it! It was a _game _to her, Zuri! All of it is! They're _hyenas _for goodness sake! The vicious verbal barbs, the goading, the sparring, the boasting! It's a game for them! It's how they act around each other! She meant nothing by it!" he said, frustrated by her stubbornness.

"Well, it's not a game for _me_! I am _not _just another hyena!" She almost shouted. "How can it be game?! I left _everything _to follow you, Kiava! I ran away from my mother, who I think about every night, to follow you! I left _knowing _you'd be chased by a _demon _and even then, I stuck by you! How _dare _you sit there and tell me it's all a game!" She said angrily. Kiava paused.

"I never said it was a game for _me._ None of this it." He said slowly. "Why are you angry at me?" He asked. Zuri glared at him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She snapped. Kiava cocked his head, confused.

"About what?"

"When she went on about how... _useless _I was to you! Why didn't you _say _anything! Or maybe I was wrong! Maybe I _am_ just another hyena to you now!" She said. Kiava stared at her, dumbfounded. What had been a harmless jibe for Asante, had been anything but for Zuri, he was starting to realise.

"Zuri-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Zuri snapped. "I'm going to track down Ookai and Bruce and Timon. They're around here somewhere. Goodness knows what they are doing, but whatever it is, I am sure they'd appreciate me doing it with them." She said bitterly and strolled past him, leaving him completely bemused.

She was seething, and didn't even have the concentration to look for Bruce or Ookai, and had lost all patience to ask a hyena where she might find them. The apes had been surprisingly accommodating with the hyenas, though it needed to be said, did seem nervous around large groups of them. Which was probably why, for the last few days, they had volunteered to go on scouting missions. Bruce's bulk wasn't especially stealthy, but he could run fast even with both Ookai and Timon perched on either shoulder and when directed, could swing a punch that would crush boulders.

She reminded herself to speak to them the next time she saw them, even if she was too angry to do so now. It would take her mind off Kiava, and Asante.

Kiava.

How dare he sit there and complain it was _her _fault?! How DARE he?!

When Asante had been... had said... Arrh! She was angry now. This whole alliance thing had been a bad idea, she had thought so from the start, but hadn't said anything. There had to have been another away. They should have gone back south, back to rejoin the others. Perhaps Sarafina would have joined them as well! That would have been something, a thousand times more useful than the mangy scrawny canines. She had only acted that way because of what Asante had said! So what if she hadn't meant it in the way she had heard it! That wasn't _her _problem to deal with! It was Asante's fault for acting as though she was another hyena, when she was anything but!

"Zuri..." A voice said. Zuri whirled around and growled. It was Asante. The hyena looked at her. Zuri grimaced.

"What do you want?" She snarled. Asante sighed.

"I want to apologise, again. I... shouldn't have goaded you like that. I didn't mean any of the things I said. Your reaction shows that... I touched a nerve there." She said, looking guilty. Zuri blinked. She hadn't expected this.

"What are you talking about?" She asked carefully, wary of some kind of joke or trick. Asante shrugged.

"Kiava was right... I was being arrogant. Needlessly so. I shouldn't have pressed the issue and I forgot for the moment that you're..."

"I am what?!" Zuri growled.

"Not a hyena. When I said those things, I didn't realise you'd be so offended by them. Or that you'd take it so personally. And that's my fault. I should have been able to work out how you'd react to what I said. I was stupid. Sorry." She said. Zuri paused.

"Do you really mean it?" Zuri asked. Asante closed her eyes for a moment.

"Bhagari... made some things clearer to me. He's smarter than the rest of us. Smarter than I am. Smarter than my father, I think. Most of the time. I know you're a good fighter – as if that needed proving. I would have relished a fair challenge. I had no right to make it personal like that." Asante admitted. Zuri paused. The young hyena looked genuine.

"I... Wasn't offended by you insulting my fighting ability, Asante... I wouldn't have reacted the way I did to that if..."

"It was Kiava, wasn't it?" Asante guessed. Zuri paused. "You were hurt by the idea that you weren't of any use to Kiava, weren't you? Spirits, Zuri, I am sorry. No wonder you..." She didn't finished. Instead Zuri was staring at her.

"We were a pair at first... And now... Now he's being a _King_. He's defeated one Shai'tan already. He's gathering followers who like and trust him. He's 's doing everything he ever wanted. He's _ruling._ He's good at it. What right to I have to demand otherwise?" Zuri asked, as much to herself as to Asante. "But... I was happier when it was the two of us... It was me and Kiava, not me and _The_ _King_. Now, he has any number of soldiers to fight for him. A Shaman to scout for him.

What use does he have for me?" She asked.

Asante stared at her. She sighed.

"Kings... Bhagari was right..." She seemed shocked. "Zuri... Please forgive me. I didn't know how much this meant to you. Of course if had known, I wouldn't have made that jab! That was so thoughtless. I never considered that..." She shook her head. "I am sorry, Zuri." Zuri looked at her for a moment. Then she shrugged.

"No." She sighed. "I should be apologising. I was just as bad. I shouldn't have let such a little thing goad me into that. I was far too rough, Asante, I was trying to hurt you and I was wrong to. I _knew _you didn't mean what you were saying, but I let myself get angry anyway. I lost control. And now Kiava is angry with me." She admitted quietly. Asante shook her head.

"Don't worry about that. I think he's concerned more than angry. Confused as well. He's not angry with you." Asante assured her. Zuri smiled.

"No hard feelings?" Zuri said, feeling aweful now she had the time to calm down, for all the things she had said and the things she had thought. Asante cracked a smile.

"Of course not." She said.

"I am sorry I was so... violent." Zuri said. Asante blinked, then looked down at the scratches that pepper her body, and touched a scrat that marked her face. All would heal after a few days. Some of bruising would take a little longer, but nothing was severe, Zuri was glad to see.

"Oh, this? Don't mind it. I've had worse. And between you and me, I'd asked the other shadowpups to tone down tonight's sparring since Kiava was watching. We're tough. We're not as strong as lions, but we can take a heavy beating and get up again and we heal very quickly. Honestly, this is nothing. Don't beat yourself up over it." She said. Zuri smirked and thought to how the fight had ended.

"Call it a draw?" She offered with a sly smile. Zuri had been winning, but then Asante had used her powers. Asante laughed a deep hyena laugh.

"Why not?" She said. She held out a paw and Zuri took it gratefully. "No hard feelings."

She smiled. Asante grinned. "And for the record? You fought like a _h__yena."_ The hyena said. There was a pause. _"_That's a compliment, Zuri..._" _She said. Zuri relaxed. Of course it was. "We should get some rest." She said. Zuri nodded, then paused.

"No... I need to finish something first." She said. Zuri nodded knowingly.

"Alright. See you tomorrow then." Zuri looked upwards. It was dark now. She would have to be quick.

She retraced her steps back to where she had last seen Kiava. He wasn't there, but his scent was easy to pick out among the hyenas. She followed it with ease and found him among a few scattered bones. A piece of meat lay unfinished next to him and he was lying on the ground. Either asleep, or dozing. Of course. He had spent the day trekking across the dusty plains, while she had spent it here. He must have been exhausted. She prodded him with a claw and he started slightly, opening his eyes. When he saw Zuri, he winced.

"Oh. Zuri..." He looked sad "Look I-"

"Sshh." She hushed him. She bent down and nuzzled his cheek gently, silencing him at once.

"What's the matter?" he asked, flushing. Zuri purred.

"Thank you. You were right. I was overreacting. You were completely right about Asante. She didn't mean a word of what she said and didn't mean for it to go so far. Neither did I. We were both fools." She said quietly. Kiava sat up.

"What's the matter?" He asked quietly, seeing her face. She seemed upset. She sighed.

"I am sorry, Kiava. You were so angry... almost _embarrassed_._.." _She didn't get any further. Kiava had straightened himself.

"Forget all of that. Every moment of it. It was nothing. Really. Nothing. I was frustrated with the two of you. I would never be angry with you. I could never feel that about you." He said. Zuri's breath caught.

"I..."

"Zuri... When you left... You worried that I thought of you as just another hyena. I promise you right now that I need you. Completely and utterly." He said.

"Do you mean that?" Zuri asked and Kiava suddenly became aware of how important this was to her and knew in that moment, precisely why she had attacked Asante with such anger and been so easily goaded from what should have been a childish boast. He leaned up and nuzzled her slightly. She breathed out as he came close.

"When I ran away from Vitani... I didn't know where I would end up. A shallow grave most likely, I had feared. But instead, I have ended up with more friends. And now? I find myself a King, with an army of hyenas... But I'd trade it all away in a second, for you, even if every one of them had Asante's gift. You are worth all of them combined. None of this would have been possible without you, Zuri. " He said slowly. "I didn't need to buy your loyalty, or earn your trust. You gave it to me. I am sorry if I _ever _gave you reason to believe otherwise. " He said. Zuri smiled.

"I came here to apologise to you and yet you have ended up apologising to me." She commented. She smiled. "What a twisted world we've come to live in..."

"You're not happy here, are you?" he asked her. She hesitated.

"I miss my mother. She probably thinks I am dead by now. Part of me wants to go home. What good is going home, if we don't have the strength to defend it?" Zuri admitted. Kiava smiled.

"We'll find a way, Zuri. You and I. I promise you that." He said firmly. Zuri smiled.

"I… believe you, Kiava." She said, leaned forward once more, licking his cheek leaving Kiava looking flustered.

* * *

_**AN:**_

_**There you go people!**_

_**What did you think of the Shai'tan?! I think it went rather well…**_

As for the Hyenas, I feel I should mention the history that kind of gets info-dumped there. Its not particuly relevenat to the story and I nearly cut the whole sequence, but I felt it added to Kiava's character as a whole, to be interested in Hyena histories, as well as his own.

_**The Matriarch, Uchawi, is Swahili for Sorcery – although she was a shaman, as in a priestess. **_**Not **_**a **_**Shaman with a capital S,**_** as the Hyenas believe. She had NO magical powers, nor was she ever related to the FIVE, or the Rods of Five Shaman, or what is happening to Sundar and Asante.**_

_**She was simply a very spiritually aware person, who channelled her rage into power, a bit like a cross between a Warrior Monk and a Viking Berserker. The story is just a few titbits to express Hyena culture in a new way and explain why the Hyenas weren't too shocked of Asante's powers. Although, it is important to remember that they are mistaken. There is something VERY important about both her and Sundar's powers, no one has noticed nor pieced together – though some of you are on the right track.**_

_**Anyway, back to the chapter.**_

_**I thought it was time that we saw a little more of the Shai'tan... Things are far from harmonious among the Shai'tan... That was the easy section and I wrote it a few days.**_

_**The other section, with the hyenas, was a **_**nightmare **_**to write. That is the reason that you were all kept waiting for so long.**_

**Neither Asante nor Zuri were in the wrong here. Sometimes, even friends and allies have arguments where no one is the bad guy – and both end up flinging insults which leave everyone worse off.**

**However, it also points out something integral to Zuri's character, and that is that one part of her that is constantly under attack, is also where she is very vulnerable. Her self-esteem. She is a skill full fighter, as has been established, and a compassionate person. More than anything, she needs to be **_**useful, **_**she needs to know her worth, and doesn't react well to the implication that she isn't needed – something that hurts her more than the idea of not being **_**wanted**_**.**

**Anyway, if you had any thoughts on any point of the chapter, please put them below!**


	13. Chapter 12 - The Price They Pay

**"Morning all. Here is Chapter 12.**

**I hope you all had a very happy Easter!**

**I've also been looking at my Outline for this book, and I think everything is now in place. You have some wonderful twists and turns ahead of you!**

**Also – I forgot to do the review reposes today, but I think I got in touch with all of you privately! If I didn't I am sorry, and I will this time! I promise!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Price They Pay**

* * *

Danyal had never felt like this before. Not in the months following the Shai'tan's attack on the Pridelands had he ever felt so helpless, so out of his depth, so out of control. A hundred different emotions burned through him. It wasn't pleasant. They were not _good _emotions to feel. He almost felt guilty for them, but not quite. He could feel anger coursing through his veins. It was almost conscious.

He wasn't a fool, he knew exactly what it was he was feeling. Jealous rage. Horrible and unbecoming of a Lion though it was, that knowledge did little to make him better. Was this how Helio felt when he saw Sundar? If so, he knew from this point on, he would show ten times the respect and compassion he had shown to his Asiatic counterpart.

Vitani, that meddling lioness, had taken it upon herself to orchestrate their salvation. Time and time again. She had decided, not to flee the Pridelands but to fight on. She had decided to ally with the Asiatics. She had decided to install him as a substitute for Kiava, and in the mean time she had agreed to mate Kiava with Sundar in order to join the Prides together. Kiava, who was a child! Kiava who was missing, maybe even dead! Kiava who had done _nothing _to help his Pride, whilst he… _he _had sacrificed _everything! _He had endured horrific pain, the memories of which he was forced to try to shut out. He had defeated wilddogs and jackals and even a Shai'tan! Who else had done _that_ and survived? But he hadn't just taken loves, he had _saved _lives as well. Sara, Inti, Kiava, Jahi, Sundar to name a few! He had dedicated the rest of his life to helping people, and was this all he got for it? No. He _deserved _better than this! What right did Vitani have to take control of his life? To take control of Sundar's? Yet, she _dared _to lecture him on duty!? _Duty!? _She who had fought for the Outlanders during the civil war!?

He howled in anguished anger and swiped at the nearest thing he could find. His unfortunate victim was a small boulder the size of his head. His claws scythed across the surfed with such force it emitted a screech that would have sent shivers down the spine of any who heard it.

What was the point? What was the purpose? The Shai'tan's armies were huge. They could defeat hundreds of wilddogs, and the Shai'tan could still order in new legions after every defeat. They were not an empire, they were a force. A force they couldn't stop. They could only ever hope to contain, to withstand. Even if they survived to old age, they, and all of their descendants, would spend their entire life fighting, never showing weakness and never being vulnerable. Because the moment they did, they would lose.

It was inevitable, that eventually they would fail. What was the point? It was hopeless. The Shai'tan and their empire stretched across many lands on many continents. They could call upon creatures never before seen in Africa. They had already used one Shaman. Who was to say that they didn't have more? They possessed terrifying hybrids who could shrug of jets of flame like it was water.

He could cope with that.

He was prepared to spend the rest of his life fighting against it.

He was willing to give everything he had for that single purpose.

Didn't that mean _anything _to Vitani? Just because he wasn't her Brother's Son? Just because he wasn't of _noble _blood? He was just another pawn to her.

Didn't he deserve better? Didn't he deserve the ghost of a chance at a future for _himself? _Their _leader _was so focused on Kiava's future and on the future of the Pride, had she ever considered his future? Or her own? They were not _just_ parts of a whole. They were people. Living, breathing, feeling people! Why was she blind to that? Was she so much an Outlander, that she couldn't bring herself to treat people with compassion? Where goals, and conquests all that drove her?

He roared in anger.

"Your Majesty? Is there something the matter?" A voice asked. It was Sash – the third and youngest of the panther trio. Danyal snarled, not caring how unfair his response was.

"Everything! And don't call me that!" He growled. Sash blinked in surprise.

"I… I am sorry Kiava. Is there some way I can help?" He asked, realizing there was some personal issue he was dealing with. Danyal slammed his paw into the ground, crushing the grass beneath it.

"No. Thank you." He said, sighing. Sash bowed, and began to turn away. "A piece of advice?"

"My King?"

"Don't get suckered in to being 'the better lion'. Don't spend your whole life trying to help others…" He said, taking another swipe at the rock in front of his paws.

"Kiava?" He asked, confused.

"Helping others won't earn you a thing. It won't bring you happiness. It only makes it easier for others to step on you. Just like the Shai'tan…" He said bitterly. Once more he slammed at the boulder beneath his paws. Growling again, he stood up and without another word began to walk away.

"My King, where are you going?" Sash asked.

"To find other things to hit. It makes me feel better." He said.

Sash looked down at the ground, and found the boulder Danyal had been striking. It had been reduced to gravel.

* * *

Sundar was not faring any better. Her burst of magical energies should have left her feeling drained, but instead they left her feeling invigorated, so bursting full of energy that it felt as though it was going to rip itself out of her. Instead, she let it simmer, forsaking every lesson Yessen and Rafiki had given her, and held the power in a gentle grip, barley containing it. She didn't suppress its power, but let it flow through her, burning away her thoughts and feeling, searing off all thoughts of pain and anguish, of guilt and blazing anger. She let the power sweep it all away.

"Sundar!"

_GO AWAY!_

Not caring who the owner of the voice was, she lashed out sending bolts of energy around her. They struck the ground, sucking away life and heat, frost shredding the grass of all green.

"Sundar!"

The icy winds began to whirl around her more densely. She rounded on her pursuer.

"LEAVE ME BE! I WANT TO BE ALONE!" Her eyes burst with electric blue light, its sapphire energies lashing at the surrounding area. If she cared, she could stop them, but why should see? Why show restraint? Why care? Helio stumbled back as the cold winds bombarded his form. The young lion shouted in pain as crystals of ice lashed across his body, biting, freezing, clawing at him.

"Sundar!" He snapped. "Stop behaving like a child!" He said, bracing himself against the cold, he stood there. Until she relented, and withheld the power, forcing it back down within herself. It took some effort. She struggled for the ghost of a moment. Before swallowing and letting the power subsidize. The temperature returned to more manageable levels, and Helio sighed.

"Sundar…"

"I want to be alone." She told him, but looked guilty. He shrugged off the frost that had begun to gather on his fur, and moved closer.

"I know how you are feeling." He told her. Sundar sighed. Of course he did. Even so, it only made her angry.

"_How dare they! They have _NO _right." _She snapped. Helio frowned.

"No right? No right to look out for their Prides? No right to preserve our species? You are thinking too small, Sundar. This isn't something you can fight. Lukaan and Vitani will do what they need to do to save us _all. _If this is what it takes to do it, then so be it."

"And what of my feelings? Don't I get a say in how I chose to live my life?!" She snapped. Helio shook his head.

"No, Sundar! Not when it comes to saving us all! This Pride could collapse at any moment, and you know it! Would you really jeopardize that, just because of how it makes _you _feel? Would you sacrifice all of our lives, so you can mate with the one you love? Is _that _more important to you, then the _lives _of people you are responsible for? The way you live your _life _dictates how we live ours! It isn't just about _you!_" He chided. She growled.

"I never _asked _for this responsibility! I don't _want _my life to affect others." She said. Helio stared at her.

"Tough." He said. She stared at her.

"I don't _want _to mate with Kiava." She said firmly. Helio shrugged.

"I doubt very much he wants to mate with you. But that is irrelevant." He said.

"I will _not _be bartered with like a piece of meat!" She said indignantly.

"So it's Pride? You're too prideful to let this happen? You'd rather we all suffered than you suffer the indignity of not having as much control over your life as you'd like?" Helio asked her.

"NO!" She shouted, angrily. Was he deliberately misunderstanding her?

"So what is it? Kiava isn't a monster. He won't ever hurt you. You won't ever make you do what you don't want to do. Why does being his Queen fill you with such dread?" He asked her. "You hate the idea, but likely, it terrifies him. Few are interested in lionesses at his age." He pointed out.

"He is a cub!"

"You won't mate with him until he isn't."

"I am old enough to be his mother!" She snapped.

"Barley. By the width of a hair."

"Kiava-"

"Why are we pretending, Sundar? This isn't about Kiava, this is about Danyal! Always about Danyal!"

"Helio-"

"No! Admit it, Sundar, I have heard you, I am not stupid! Stop dancing around it like a spoilt cub with a crush!"

"Fine then! I love him!"

There was quiet.

"I love Danyal. The way he is a father to half a dozen cubs without owing them anything! The way he _cares _about everything, the way he loves his people and his family and his friends! The things he has suffered, and the things he has lost have only made him stronger, and I love him! And he loves me and I don't _deserve _it! So if you wanted it, you have it Helio! If I can't be his mate, then I won't be anyone's! I don't want to rule any Pride that isn't his! I don't want to mother any cubs who aren't his! I don't want to save any lion that isn't him! I don't _want _any life that isn't beside him, and I don't care what land or power or crown it comes with – I don't want it!" She shouted angrily. Helio only stared at her.

"Forgive me, Sundar. But this changes nothing."

"Nothing! Is my heart _nothing_?! Why are you siding with… _them?" _She said angrily. Helio sighed. It was a sad sigh. He wanted desperately to tell her that she was right. That is was wrong for any to expect this of her. He wanted to tell her that the only thing that should matter is the way she felt. That she should forget everything she owed to everyone else, and that she should love who she did. If only he could.

"I side with them, because they are _right_. If this is what it takes to secure our survival, why shouldn't we pay it? I would sacrifice my _life _to unify these prides, if it would save us all! All of us would! This is not the most painful pride fate could demand from us!"

"From us?! You mean from _me! _What price have you paid?!"

"If I am sounding _cold _Sundar, it is because I know from experience that sometimes, we have to sacrifice that which is most precious to us, if we are to survive! If this breaks your heart, then I will grief with you, and I will do everything I can to help you get through this, but I will _not _pretend that this isn't the right thing to do! You are a Princess, whether you like it or not, and it is the duty of those who rule to give what they can from the Pride! This is your sacrifice! This is the Spirit's Price! Mourn it later! Stand by those you love and draw strength from them, but for the love of the Kings _PAY IT! _For thegood of all of us!"

"Why doesn't it bother you, that this will happen to me?! Why don't you care, about my feelings?"

"Your feelings?! You sit there and lecture me on _feelings! _You truly are selfish, Sundar. You never even _noticed _my feelings, much less cared about them! So let me say it plainly, for all to hear! I love _you! _I have always loved you, and I always will! I have wanted to spend the rest of my life with you for as long as I have known you! I asked, then begged, then _groveled _before your Uncle to be allowed to be your mate! King Malaki didn't care about _my _feelings. He didn't care what you thought. He acted as he did, for the benefit of the Pride, because it is bigger than any of us, even as he watched me fall on my knees and _beg. _The future I wanted, wasn't possible. So instead, I did what I could to make my life bearable, and I did that by staying where I could still have you in my life, as my friend! Because anything less would have killed me!" He said.

"Helio…"

"You can survive this… I know you can, because I went through this, Sundar! I know how it feels to lose this…"

"I don't want to mate with Kiava. And I am sorry, Helio, but I don't want you. I want Danyal! I want _him. He is the lion that I love._"

"If you weren't a princess, Sundar, you could have him! But –"

"I never _chose_ who my father was! I never _decided _that Malaki would leave me as his heir!"

"I didn't chose to be driven out of my home! We didn't chose to let the Imperium rise! You can't be with Danyal. That future just isn't there. It doesn't exist! It isn't possible. So instead of whining about how unfair the world is, and what _ought _to be, you need to get up and live the life the Spirits have given you! Make of it, the best you can, by living and loving Danyal if that is what you need to live! But get _up _and do you duty to your Pride!"

"You can't ask that of me!"

"WHY NOT?! You ask it of me every day I breathe! Vitani doesn't want to lead! She doesn't even want to stay in these lands! Damu wants to seek out her daughter! Koron wants to go out there and kill as many Shai'tan as he can before they kill him! Danyal wants to save as many as he can, but is now trapped in a position where he had to risk lives every day! Inti and Sara were _tortured _and now they have to live as if nothing has happened! We've all paid our Pound of Flesh! We've all paid the Blood Price!

The world sucks, Sundar! Sometimes it isn't worth living in! If I believed in the Kings of the Past, or the Spirits, or the Gods, then I would have left it years ago! But this life is the only chance we have to make the world better and the only way that can happen is if you stop thinking about yourself! Instead of complaining what the world has forced you to do, change the world, so that no one else will ever have to do it ever again!"

"Helio… It hurts…" She said, and now he tears began to flow. Helio leaned in close, and embraced her, and for the first time in his life, he licked her cheek, wiping away the tears.

"I know. I know it hurts. I know."

"I don't want this…"

"I know… And I am here… And so is Danyal. And between us, we'll help you through hell if we have to. You are stronger than this, Sundar. You can survive it. We've survived worse. Together."

Watching them in silence, Sara lay crouched to the ground. She doubted Helio or Sundar were aware of her presence. She stared at Sundar in confusion and horror. So… She had been right. Sundar was in love with Danyal. She loved him to the point that being with anyone other than him, was worse than death. There was a longing there, that she could practically see now she knew what to look for. Sundar needed Danyal.

But she wasn't the only one.

Sara needed him too. They all needed him… Just like they needed Sundar… But Sundar was beyond consoling… and Danyal had disappeared in such a fit of anger the like of which he had never seen.

* * *

Leaving Helio and Sundar to themselves, she made her way to the only person she knew who could explain all of this.

"Mother?" She asked, when, sometime later, she had finally located her mother. The lioness had finished one of the day's many hunts, and was tired from the effort. She could see traces of sweat and blood still on her. Almasi turned in surprise at the sound of her daughter's voice, and blinked.

"Sara? What are you doing this far away from the dens? Is everything alright?" She asked in surprise looking concerned, and looked around as if looking for someone else. Sara shrugged.

"I came alone." She told her mother, realizing what she was looking for. "And things are not well… Vitani and Da-_Kiava_ have had a fight." She said. Almasi groaned, then turned to her companions, two Asiatic lionesses and a wildcat, (The later acting as scout rather than participating in the hunt).

"You three head back to the pride… I'll finish with Sara here." She said. The other left quickly, after smiling at the young cub. Sara tried not to look away in embarrassment, as one commented on 'what a big girl she was', on making it all the way out to them by herself. When they had left, Almasi embraced her daughter, and Sara allowed her a few moments of contact before pulling away and looking up at her mother.

"What is it now?" Almasi asked her daughter, seeing that she really wanted to talk. Sara frowned.

"I wish I understood it. Vitani has revealed to Danyal her grand plan to unite the Prides. She plans on having Sundar mate with Kiava." At her mother's expression she quickly amended. "When they are both older, obviously. But Sundar was not… _thrilled_ with the prospect, and Danyal was… well… I have never seen him so angry. Not at anyone. For a moment there, I thought he was going to fight Vitani! It frightened me." She admitted. Almasi stared at her daughter and then sighed softly.

"Fools. The lot them." She said, sounding sad. "Vitani can be so thoughtless at times."

"Did you know about it?" Sara asked her. Almasi shrugged.

"We talked about it. I gave her my input. I told her I thought the principle was sound, but that the timing was premature, and that I thought it better for Sundar and Kiava to at least _meet _before making such decisions. But we don't have the luxury of time. Vitani felt that delaying wasn't an option. She might be right…" She said slowly. Sara looked at her mother.

"Do _you_ think it's a good idea?"

"I think… that it would succeed in uniting the Prides. I think Danyal knows that as well… as does Sundar." She said after a pause. That wasn't quite the same as thinking it was a good idea.

"But if it's such a good idea, why was Danyal so angry at her, do you think?" Sara asked cautiously.

"Vitani, for all her qualities, isn't perfect. She installed Danyal as King and yet still seems surprised that he has developed a taste for _ruling_. She demands responsibility of him almost beating concepts of duty into him during the first few months of our exile, but remains annoyed when he involves himself in the affairs of the Pride. He learned his lessons too well for her tastes. This situation, well, it's something that profoundly concerns him, his ward, and his friend. I know I would be angry if _you _were betrothed to someone without consulting you, or myself. Even so, Danyal is a compassionate and empathetic young lion. I suspect he is more indignant on Sundar's behalf. She is the one he feels is being wronged here." She said finally.

"Why is that?" She asked, though she though she knew the answer. Almasi tried to elaborate. "Well, she _is _having her future decided, very quickly. If she mates Kiava, she won't be able to mate anyone else. Too many wars have been fought over thrones and crowns to afford anything else. She's also a very young lioness… I have no doubt she is frightened of the relationship she might have with a lion she didn't choose." She said.

"What kind of relationship _will_ Kiava and Sundar have?" Sara asked carefully. Almasi shrugged.

"That is up to them I am afraid. I doubt very much that they would hate one another – even Vitani wouldn't go through with it if she thought that they would be desperately unhappy together. They more likely to be close friends. At least at first. But relationships can grow. They are like a seed. They start off small, not always visible, but beneath the surface. If it's left to rot, then it will crumble and decay… and equally, if it is drowned in passion, the relationship can turn… destructive and drown." She said. Sara nodded. She knew what had happened to Scar and Zira.

"And if it grows beyond that?" Sara asked. Almasi thought for a moment.

"Why so curious, Sara?" Almasi asked. When Sara was not forthcoming, she shrugged and answered.

"If two people love each other? Truly love each other? And they dedicate the whole of themselves to that task? Building on it each day? Then there are no limits. The two lives become as one. They become intertwined. So tightly that the separation of which, can cause immeasurable pain. It can motivate people to unimaginable lengths, and lead people to make terrible decisions. Yet it also brings people together in a way that can't be replicated. Kovu was prepared to leave everyone he knew and give up everything he had out of love for Kiara… that took immeasurable courage. And it cost him dearly – the last shred of love his mother had for him." She pointed out. Sara shivered. She hadn't thought of it that way.

"Sundar doesn't feel that way about Kiava." She said calmly. Almasi shrugged.

"Perhaps one day she will. And if she doesn't? There is no reason to believe that she would be unhappy.

"You said that when two people who are truly in love are mates… it makes something special…" Sara said. Almasi grinned.

"Well, it certainly made you and your brother." She pointed out, in a rare display of sharp wit. Sara didn't smile.

"What if only one is truly in love?" She asked carefully, then quickly added: "Or if two who _are _truly are _prevented _from mating?" Sara asked.

Almasi resisted the urge to clamp a paw to her head.

"Things can get messy. But I shouldn't worry. Sundar and Kiava especially are far too young to have _real _feelings of love and affection. Such a union would only be in name, for _our _benefit than anything else. That's the real reason Vitani wants to rush this through. Nothing would come of it for years." _I hope._ She said.

"But just say –"

"I guess… Then one or the other be very unhappy." Almasi admitted. Sara looked at her, eyes begging her to explain. "If love isn't requited? It can hurt. _King's _it can hurt a lot. Love is a powerful emotion, but it can easily be mutated into things just as powerful, and ten times as frightening. Grief, is love displaced by different planes. And love can become destructive, leading to all sorts of… well… _wrongness, _when it loses its compassion, living way to animalistic lust." Almasi said, refusing to go any further. Sara might not be a young child any more, but she was a cub. There were limits to how deep she would allow _that _trail of thought. "But as I said, Danyal, Sundar and Kiava are far too young to have developed any _real _affections." Almasi finished.

Sara wondered if it was her place to say so, but even as she thought it, she could feel a rush of something beneath her skin as she spoke.

"Sundar feels that way about Danyal." She surprised herself with how venomous the statement sounded. She liked Sundar, and yet she said the fact as if it were posion.

"What makes you-" Almasi tried to speak.

"I heard her. She loves Danyal. She wants him to be her mate. Properly – not just for show like Vitani wants her to be with Kiava. She is in love with Danyal." She almost spat. Almasi blinked, for the moment, missing her daughter's tone.

"Ah. Oh dear. Oh _dear_." Almasi sighed, resisting the urge to claim how young Danyal and Sundar were to be thinking of mates. Such irresponsibility among their youth, least of all at such a time was… well… _unwise._

"And from what you said… well… it sounds like she is really in love with Danyal."

"Ah. So that is why you are asking about such relationships… You are concerned that Sundar would be far happier with Danyal than with Kiava." Her mother said, looking thoughtful. Sara nodded, though it wasn't quite true.

"No. Danyal was so angry… I don't think he was angry about being excluded… I think… I think he loves Sundar too." She said, finally admitting it openly. Almasi looked at her daughter.

"That might explain it. If he has developed affections for Sundar… well. That could complicate matters. Especially since Sundar has fallen in love with him – though in fairness it's not hard to see why, is it?" Almasi said. Sara jumped at that.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked her. Almasi shrugged.

"Well, I mean." She flushed in embarrassment. For all her daughter's maturity since her capture, there were many ways she still seemed… well… innocent.

"Sara. He's very smart, strong and he is _kind. _In a world such as this, that still remains something to treasure. And I know you've not seen many males, and it might have escaped your notice, but Danyal is… Well, for the son of a rouge and a nomad, there is something about him… almost regal. You must have seen it. His scars, though serious, are more a distinction than a disfigurement. He's defeated a Shai'tan. He's drawn both the eyes of more than one of the Asiatics, and I can think of more than a couple of lionesses who were killed in the fall of Pride Rock, who would have certainly been interested in… well." She coughed, distinctively uncomfortable. Any lioness who finally attracted his attentions would be most fortunate indeed." At Sara's expression she frowned. Maybe she was _too _innocent…

"He's _handsome. _And he is the greatest warrior in the Pridelands. And he's regal enough to convince anyone he's the king with just a look. He's… quite a fine lion, if it's not inappropriate for me to say so." She said awkwardly. She had (unsuccessfully) tried to foster the lion after all, but she wanted to explain to Sara. The young cub nodded her head.

"I know. He is _very _handsome. He isn't just a fighter, he's a _Hero_, the kind you hear about in the legends of the _Great Kings. _And Sundar is a powerful sorcerers – or will be at any rate. And she's a princess. And she's beautiful, anyone can see that. It's no wonder that he and Sundar…_" _Sara said, trailing off.

Almasi stared at her daughter. Well, so much for _that _misconception.

Sara sniffed, trying to hide it. Almasi saw it. A great sinking feeling came over her as she suddenly thought back to all of her daughter's question, the pieces slipping into place like some elaborate puzzle. Then with a cosmic 'click', she blinked. She leaned forward and nuzzled her truly miserable looking daughter.

"Whatever is the matter?" She asked, a horrible dread coming over her, fearing she knew the answer.

"I…" Sara hesitated. "Danyal…" Then she took a hold of herself, and smiled brightly. "Nothing." She said, and stood up to leave. Almasi scowled at her daughter.

"Sara! Don't you dare lie to me! What on earth is the matter?"

"I just worry that Danyal would be much happier with Sundar." She said.

"Well-"

"I want my friends to be happy! But… If that means that he should mate with Sundar… I don't know what to think about that!" She said. If Sundar didn't mate Kiava, then they Pride would be at risk, but if she did, Danyal might be happier… Of course, that would come at its own cost.

Almasi stared at her daughter, and Sara realized her mistake. She ought to have said: "_Sundar_ would be happier with _Danyal_.", the implied statement being: _As opposed to with _Kiava_. _Instead she had said the reverse. And thereby revealed her true fear. Whoops. _Maybe her mother wouldn't notice?_

"Sara… does the idea of Sundar being with Danyal… upset you?" She asked slowly.

_Damn_.

Her daughter glared at her for a moment. Before finally bursting.

"Yes! And I don't know why! I like Sundar, but I don't want her with Danyal! I want Danyal to be happy, but I hate that he loves Sundar! I wish I knew, but I don't understand! I thought… I thought if I spoke to you, then it would start to make sense, but it doesn't! It doesn't fit! It doesn't _work. _I don't know what I am supposed to _do!_" She finally erupted.

Her mother stared at her. And then without another word, she enveloped her daughter in a tight embrace.

"Why…. Oh why oh why oh why, didn't you just come and talk to me about it? Instead of bottling all of this up yourself? I don't need to ask if you've tried speaking to Inti or Koron about this. Did you?" She asked her. Sara shook her head tearfully. _That _would have been far too embarrassing. Her mother leaned in close.

"Look… I am not going to stand here and patronize you. Heaven knows you've grown up far faster than I would have liked over the past few months. I wish you didn't have to but you have. And clearly as a result of this _other_ things have developed which wouldn't normally be important to you for years…" She said calmly. Her mother sat bac, wondering how she ought to deal with this. "Sara… Are you telling me that you feel like feel like you _in_ _love_ with Danyal?" She asked her quietly, without a smirk or a grin. Sara's face contorted.

"…Yes… No… I don't _know!" _She said in anguish. Her mother simply smiled at that.

"And therein lies your problem. You don't know what you are feeling, or what you should do. You are stuck running around in circles and you're exhausting yourself doing it. There is no need for you to do that at all." She said. She licked her daughter. "I know I've not always been the best parent, Sara. Kings know there are things I should have done, things I didn't do, that I regret. I can't change that. But there will never be a time when you can't speak to your mother about what is troubling you. Believe it or not, I can help you." She said smiling. Sara sniffed.

"I don't know, mother… I feel totally lost!"

"Of course you do! This is all new to you! But I told you once, when you were very young, that when you were lost, I would never be far away from you, and that I would _always _be there for you. That's a promise I still keep, even in this Sara. You tell me that you don't know what to feel… That is what you need to discover, for yourself. You must figure out your own feelings with Danyal. Speak to him about them if –"

"WHAT!" Sara bolted up right. Almasi winced. What had she said now?

"I said you should speak to him. Tell him how you are feeling-"

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Sara nearly burst. She was furious. Her mother had the audacity of smirking about it.

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed about it. Danyal is hardly the worst lion you could have chosen. He is a fine young lion."

"I… But… I can't!"

"Why not?" She said. She knew for a fact she would never talk so openly to _her _crush, but she was far wiser now.

"But… What if he doesn't feel the same way about me?" She asked her mother. He rmother paused. Then she exhaled slowly.

"Sara… I am sorry, but you do realize that it's a certainty that he doesn't return those feelings now, and that it is _highly_ unlikely that he ever would?" Her mother said. Sara winced.

"I know that it's not _likely_… But you said that Kiava and Sundar… well, when they were older…" She said it very softly. Almasi felt her heart sink. True. It was _technically _possible, that someday, in a very convoluted future, Danyal might suddenly develop romantic feelings for her daughter, when she became old enough. After all, that _was _what Vitani was banking on Sundar and Kiava doing, so it wasn't _totally _implausible…

"Okay, fair enough. But you have to admit that right _now, _in the very least, he has feelings for Sundar…" She said. Sara surprised herself by emitting a soft growl at that thought.

"I get it! But I don't want to talk to _him_ about it!" She said. Almasi smiled.

"You can't honestly think you are the first lioness to develop feelings for a handsome young lion? Whether they be romantic or not, he is handsome, strong, brave and compassionate."

"Danyal… makes me feel safe. He _cares _about me." She admitted. Her mother nodded.

"And so, naturally, you care about him."

"But I can't tell him that! It's not… right. It's not…"

"Normal? Kings Sara! Do you think there is something unnatural in this? Something unique to you? Some reason the heavens should shake?"

"How should I know? I don't have the faintest -"

"Okay. Aright. I think I understand. Let me try something else. Do you want me to tell you a secret?" She said. "When I was very young, I was _spectacularly _head over heels in love with a much older lion. I was only a young cub when he arrived in the Pride. At that point we'd been under Scar's tyranny for longer than I'd been alive. When he came, he promptly murdered the tyrant, and began ruling the kingdom with fairness, and justice, and there was food and"

"Wait. Wait a moment. Are you telling me, that when you were a cub, you had a crush on _Simba_! The King! But-"

"Hey! I said it was a secret! Obviously I never went to him with my thoughts… It would have been… inappropriate. Especially with his young _pregnant _mate. After a few weeks, my passions cooled, and my… ahem… _hero worship… _developed into a much measured and courteous respect." The lioness was glowing red in embarrassment. She shook herself. "I was hardly the only one. I was reliably informed by Sarabi that Nala developed _quite _the fixation for the young rouge Ni, while she was your age.

"My point, Sara, is that these things are normal. You are a caring, loving young lioness, who cares deeply for others, who's also been through a huge ordeal, in a time of warfare, who is _also _trying to have a normal cubhood. And that includes things like cubhood crushes – and genuine relationships – and the struggle to tell them apart. It's not something to be embarrassed about or ashamed. You have the luxury I didn't have, and that is knowing Danyal well. What is he going to do, get angry?"

"You saw how angry he was when Vitani –"

"Sara. You know that there is _nothing _that young lion wouldn't do if you asked it? He loves you very much. Maybe not in the way you want, but he does care about you. He would never _dream _of hurting you. But you owe it to yourself to sort this out. And you owe it to him – because if you don't tell him, he'll see how you act about him and Sundar, and will think its something _he's _done."

"Why would he think that?"

"Because he's a male." She said simply. Sara's mouth twitched.

"Right." She stood up, and then embraced her mother. "Thank you. But… Don't tell anyone about this?" She asked simply. Her mother chuckled.

"Not a word." She promised. When her daughter had left, she thought back. This was troubling. Very troubling. Her daughter's problems, of course, were the priority to her, but there was also the issue of Sudnar and Danyal. It seemed inevitable that Vitani and Danyal would clash over this… And for the first time, Almasi was uncertain who would win – or even who ought to win. Danyal was a good lion, yes, but Vitani wasn't a cruel lioness. Vitani would quickly discover the hurt she was unknowingly inflicting on them, and then… No. It was not likely to sway her. She will do what she thought she had to do save their Prides. Regardless of the pain it caused others. After all, she had never done anything less, when she had been the one to suffer. No, Vitani wasn't cruel. She was Strong.

Her mistake, was forgetting that not everyone was as strong as she was.

* * *

To the western borders of the Pridelanders new territory, (which as Danyal had guessed, had been in the northeast of the Pridelands, focused around the Swamplands and Five Stones) a duo of Panthers made their way through through the long-grass. They were cautious in their movement, anxious not attract attention, as if hunting. The black felines were not hunting though, they were scouting the area on royal command.

Ras pulled up short.

"Okay. Have we missed anywhere? We're not going to head back, and give the all clear, before being asked about a place we've never heard of?" She checked, for the umpteenth time. Rei nodded patiently.

"That's why we're checking the river one more time."

"Remind me, it's the Zulu right?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah, the Zulu. It diverts from the Great River at the Zulu falls, and it's in the east of the Pridelands. The Zuberi diverts from the Great River much further west, and passes by Pride Rock. Well, what is left of it." He said darkly. Ras smiled.

"I didn't know you much of a tracker, but you seem to know your way around the place very well." She said. Rei shrugged.

"I've spent a lot of time talking to the few birds that come anywhere near Five Stones. It pays to keep track what's going on in Imperial held territory, and the birds see a lot of what happens. They are the ones who really know the place." He admitted. His sister smiled.

"Good thinking Rei! _Birds. _I know for a fact we don't have many in the Pride, but it might be worth investigating that. I imagine Vitani would like the idea of having her own spies. The Shai'tan's vultures really make life difficult." She said, thinking carefully. Rei nodded. Then his eyes narrowed.

"Speaking of vultures… Get down. What's that? Spiralling up ahead?" He asked slowly, pointing into the sky. Ras pressed herself to ground. It was hard to make oneself invisible from the air, but the grass long and curved enveloped them as they slunk down. As long as they were still, it would be difficult to spot them.

"_I think it's… yet. It's a vulture." _She hissed. Rei nodded. He had thought the same.

"What's it doing here? Random patrols?"

"I think – wait a moment. Is that another one?" He pointed with a claw. He thought he could see another, spiraling higher. His sister blinked, before she pointed with a claw.

"And there! A _third_."

"Damn." Rei began to curse.

Ras was about to reply, when suddenly there was a shrill cry. The three vultures were circling a single area ahead of them. Glancing at on another, they made their way forward, deciding that they ought to investigate what was going on.

They reached the edge of the grass and could go no further. They were right on the banks of the River Zulu. On the far side of the bank, high in the air, they could see the vultures circling, perfectly equidistant to each other, spinning, and slowly gaining speed.

"What on earth…" Then, with a sudden shriek, all three emitted a loud piercing cry. There was a loud crack, and a flash of light, that made Rei think of lightning, though there was not a cloud in the sky. Ras swore.

And the Gateway opened – wider than most they had seen. A battalion of wilddogs began to move through. Slowly, so as not to touch the distorted edges of the space. Ras began to swear quietly. Then fell silent, as the almighty shape of a great tiger began to move through the wormhole.

Mortread of the Shai'tan surveyed his troops for a moment, before giving orders. And still more wilddogs began to come through. Ras stood up.

"We need to get back to King Kiava. _Now_." She said.

**AN:**

**There you go!**

**I was nervous about this chapter, but hopefully, you enjoyed it!**


	14. Chapter 13 - Snakedance

**"I gather you all enjoyed the previous chapter? As I have said a few times, I do not feel romance is my forte, so I am always nervous about writing too intently on in this genre. However, I am very pleased with how it turned out so far.**

**This chapter is my first attempt at writing an entire battle, rather than just a chaotic skirmish, which is really just a sequence of fights from the perspective of the protagonists. This will attempt to integrate some form of military tactics to the fray and also involve some strategy on behalf of both parties. The battle clearly takes place in stages and I decided early on that I did not want to expand this sequence over too many chapters. Battle scenes are fun and exciting, but there is a real danger of becoming lost in them and simply start rehashing the same conflicts over and over, as if this story were an action movie.**

**Unfortunately, books aren't like movies, were it is enough to simply show what is happening. I needed to be more creative in how I display such pieces. For example, what the characters are feeling, what their senses are experiencing, how the fight in going in the context of a common solider. I am not sure how well it will work with the creatures, given how much it goes against real life – but if you could review it and let me know how you found it, I'd be appreciated.**

**In addition to this, this chapter has turned out as the longest thus far. If I was writing from scratch, I would probably split this into at least three chapters but I can't alter the plans now that it's written, so it has emerged as a ****_huge_**** chapter.**

**Sorry about that!**

**Even so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!**

**Okay and before we go to that, the last chapter got some very interesting reviews!**

**One common theme there was Danyal crushing a rock into gravel.  
Well, there are many rocks in this world that can fall apart under slight pressure. Limestone, chalk, pumice, slate and the like, are not particularly strong. There are certainly some rocks which could be crushed apart by an angry adolescent lion. I will admit though, that I went a little overboard there, in the name of dramatic effect. There will be moments when you, as the reader, will be required to suspend your disbelief for a moment. I shall try and minimize these moment though.**

**We also capped 100,000 words for this story!**

**That's over 500,000 words overall!**

* * *

Here are the responses:

**SandyDragon:**

Danyal is a good lion. He is not one to burden others with his worries. But that might well be a weakness rather than a strength, as you pointed out. He is prone to bottling his feelings and then lashing out at inconvenient moments, to the detriment of all concerned.  
Sundar and Helio have their own problems, and they will need to resolve that barrier before the end.  
I am pleased you enjoyed Sara though. Her relationship with Danyal is one of the most unique and the most interesting, at least to write about. She has no true understanding how she really feels about Danyal – perhaps if she had the time to be a normal girl, things would be simple – but in this brutal world she lives in, she has to cope alone.

Thank you for the review! You'll see plenty of Mortread in the future… and as for tension… well… let's just say I think you'll like what we have in store.

**LoveNeverDies:**

Ouch! Now, let's not be too harsh on Vitani! She is doing what she thinks it right afterall, and sometimes, It is more important to do what is right, than what makes people happy. I am sure Castella-Ra would be devastated by her father's death – but that won't stop Kiava from trying to defeat the Emperor.  
The fact that we empathise with both Vitani and Danyal, makes the conflict more interesting, don't you think? Sometimes, no one is right and traditional notions of good and evil fall apart. As soon you will see.

Thank you for the glowing praise! I have said a couple of times that I am not all together comfortable in the area of romance, so this is high praise indeed.

Sara's issue is more complicated than Helio. Helio knows what he wants, and knows what hurts. He acts as he does anyway, no matter the pain it brings him. Sara, on the other hand, doesn't understand. She doesn't know what she feels for Danyal – whether its love, a small crush, devoted affection, deep friendship or comradery, or somewhere in-between any of them. All she knows is that she has new feelings.  
She is basically beginning to have her world open before her. Not quite puberty and adolescence, but things are starting to change for her, and its starting here.

Thank you for the wonderful review. I am so glad you enjoyed it, and don't worry, things will pick up in the Danyal/Rebels camp soon (though by the end of this, you may wish otherwise) and it's interesting to see you empathising with the characters so much!  
**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Danyal is very resentful. He has reason to be – and not just over this. He could easily take an easier, darker path. There is a sweetness, an easiness, to forsaking ones responsibilities for those around you, to focusing on personal things, like the acquisition of wealth, power, and 'things', and It's not just something limited to lions either.

We base our entire society, culture and economy on the idea that humans will compete against one another. In some countries, attempting to think otherwise is considered evil I itself.  
Survival is easier when one only cares about oneself, and it's a deceptively easy thing to sink into.  
Far more dangerous to the Pride right now, isn't cruelty. Its apathy. Danyal is bitter enough to resent her, strong enough to challenge her and smart enough to see that.

He's also focusing on what people are ignoring – the futility of the fight. He has recognised that "winning" won't be as simple as some people think. There is no 'endgame' no strategy. It's just survival, for survival's sake.

See Danyal as the rightful King? Perhaps. But the Pridelands isn't a democracy – its am absolute monarchy. In reality, it's not much more than a benign dictatorship. Scar really broke no rules once he was _on _the throne. He was right when he said the King makes the rules. The only real limit of power, is a strong conscience and a weak will.

Vitani's own power plays will come back to haunt them. But some will be their salvation. I won't say which is which, but it would be a mistake to think she was solely an obstacle or solely and blessing to the Pride. Her actions will have great effect on the kingdom, for better or worse.

Is Helio's stance really surprising? He's own affections for Sundar went unnoticed and unreturned. Let us not forget that they did really have a connection, and _could _have made a relationship work. That isn't delusion on his part. He was refused that though, on the grounds that it was better for the Pride, and given the current situation, this means his is likely to die – probably young – unloved and childless. He is resigned to that fate, on the grounds his sacrifice has brought the pride what it needs.  
Vitani has watched both her sister in law and her brother die, and only managed to convince herself that their sacrifice was worth it, but focusing on what it bought the Pride. The only reason she can live with herself not dying with them, is the certainty that her actions _now _are what is best for the Pride.

And yet, Sundar refuses to do what must be done.  
Yes she will be unhappy. Yes, she won't be with the one she loves.  
Why should that mean she shouldn't do what needs to be done? It's an unfortunate consequence of her doing what is right. What right does she have to demand her feelings are more important than the needs of the Pride?

From a purely pragmatic, unemotional view, she _is_ being very selfish. Even Danyal sees that. He's bitter and angry, but isn't going to try to stop Sundar from ending up with Kiava. Not at the moment, at any rate.

Some powerful insights with Sara there as well! Keep it up!

Some interesting comments on his lineage.

While I couldn't comment on your speculation, the identities of both his parents will be known by the end of this series, something he has always felt bitter about. The knowledge might help bring him a little peace in that regard.

**Author:**

Some sympathy for Sash. That's nice to see, though, fortunately, Sash it smart enough to know that Danyal snapped at him over something else than himself, and took no offense (although he is a curious young cub).

It's good to see the fanbase split over the issue. It comes down to what is more important. Personal happiness, or the good of the majority? What price is too high?

Sara is indeed very young, about 12/13 in human years by this point. Old enough to start to develop feelings of attachment and affection, but young enough for it to be considered inappropriate for one to return them. I don't want to spoil precisely what it is she is feeling, but it is a bunch of other emotional turmoil, mixed in with a sort of one sided crush and hero worship on her part for Danyal.

As for the Cliff hanger…

Well… Mainly because I get reactions like that, and I feast on the emotions of torment people feel. Why else would I subject my character to such torment?

* * *

**Chapter 13: Snakedance**

* * *

Kiava looked out across the ashen plains. He had expected the day to feel different. Storm clouds, flashes of lightning or something appropriately dramatic. Instead, it was… well… ordinary. The morning sun was pleasantly warm for the Shadowlands (which were usually cold during the morning hours, the majority of the heat coming from the system of steam vents and geysers below the earth's surface, leaving the area an odd patchwork of temperatures). The sky was cloudless, though pale. There was a gentle breeze, but for the most part the area was calm and subdued, as if the world itself was pausing a moment to witness the events that were unfolding.

The ground was hard and barren. Very little plant life grew. There were boulders and skeletons sparsely strewn across the landscape, like discarded scraps. Other than that, there was little in the way of notable features, though Kiava had already committed every detail to memory.

Across from him, barley a few thousand feet thousand feet away from him, he could see shapes mobilising. Shifting, seething and momentarily formless, the serpent clans were assembling, preparing for the fight. Kiava watched them, initially hoping to glean some useful piece of information with which to direct his forces, but now having seen the chaotic mess they were, that hope had died. It was clear that the formations and tactics of the snakes would only be apparent at the point of contact. The reptile's adaptability, patience and lightning reflexes made them impossible to predict in a fight, and Kiava did not doubt that it would be reflected in Abyss' strategy.

"Kiava, are you ready for this?" Asante asked him. The young hyena was at his side, surveying the area below them. Their vantage point was within clear sight of where the first point of contact would be. He would be able to direct the entire battle here. Kiava swallowed, aware of the enormity of the situation, but nodded his head. The ground before him was soon to lose its ignoble ordinariness. Within the hour, it would become a battlefield. It would become so by his command. She asked him if he was ready? How could he be ready? Ready to unleash blood and warfare – righteous and just though it was? Was he prepared to lead a battle? Not a sneaky, stealthy attack, or some small skirmish, but a full blown and fierce battle?

"Yes." He said, nodding his head. He turned to face Asante.

"We're ready here. Begin the attack." He gave the order softly. He could imagine his ancestors giving similar commands in times of crisis and war. He wondered if when they did, they had felt as he did now. Asante only nodded and gave a loud bark and then with an almost feline roar, she led the first charge. A dozen hyenas ran with her across the plains, charging towards the shifting, seething mass of serpents. The reptiles began to move quicker, almost agitated as the hyenas bore down upon them. They approached, coming closer, and closer, and then without pause the hyenas leapt into the fray, biting at the snakes.

Asante drew her claws and gave a warcry, the whooping, shrieking of the hyenas echoing around her, adrenaline pumping, anger flowing, the thrill of the hunt igniting in her chest with explosive force and she felt her eyes widen with anticipation, her jaw opening and gleaming teeth salivating.

Then there was blood, as she bit into a snake's neck. She pulled away and ducked a vicious strike that sailed over her head and arched her head back to snap her teeth around the neck of the snake that had attacked her, catching it in her powerful jaws and biting hard.

The scales of the serpents were hard, almost leathery and only when the canines crunched their teeth with full force would their teeth fully penetrate even the weakest of the reptile's armour. She griped tight as her prey writhed in her mouth and it tail lashed around, swinging upwards trying to seal itself around her neck, to constrict at her throat. Her bite was too strong though and the snake's attempt to gain a choke hold around her neck only added to the penetrative power of Asante's jaws. With the snake still in her mouth, Asante weaved around another attack and ground her teeth with renewed pressure. She felt her teeth sink further into the reptiles neck, who shrieked and then fell still. She let it fall from her jaws and spat out blood. Around her, the snakes swarmed, diving and weaving, tripping and darting, using their speed and agility to confuse, befuddle and then to _strike _with supreme precision and strength. They darted with bullet like speed, forcing through and piercing defences, before then turning their lithe bodies and _squeezing. _One punctured the forearm of a sluggish hyena, before slivering around and crushing the rear leg of its ally and in doing so, splintered bone, sending shards slicing through muscle as the limb underwent a compound fracture. The snake didn't bother finishing off his foe, before it was moving on to the next, leaving his victim screaming in agony on the ground. The snakes fought with a viciousness rarely seen, even among the hyenas. There was a desperation there that made them dangerous. Asante gave another quick bark and the hyenas began to pull closer together, trying to prevent the serpents from filtering among their ranks and tearing their fighting line to shreds and picking them off one by one.

Asante growled, bearing her teeth. The fighting was close and grinding, the two sides edging their way into each other, with casualties on both sides already, but the speed of death slowing to a standstill, as the fighting animals stabilised.

Far from the front lines, but still in view of the battle, the great python, Abyss, watched the battle from a similar vantage point to Kiava. He hissed in frustration. As expected, the hyenas were proving to be worthy foes. He hated placing his troops into rigid formations. It was not the way of the serpent. His forces were far more devastating when scattered throughout the ranks of some expendable grunts. Jackals or wilddogs or other such drones to sponge the attention of the enemy. The serpents would then seep through the enemy lines, like water into porous rock and then – as if the same water suddenly froze – expand into with a violent burst of strength and shatter the rock into gravel. That stratergy was unavailable to them with Amun dead and his pathetic dogs scattered to the four winds. He was forced to use his own troops to and although he had more than equal numbers with which to oppose Kiava and his tame hyenas, it was a poor matchup for his troops when the fight was one on one.

He was not defenceless however, and he had no intention of giving Kiava anything remotely resembling a fair fight. He was a serpent after all!

He had enjoyed his position under Sekmet, but there, he had been little more than a favoured underling. Here, he was given a chance to shine. Viciousness, patience, ruthless ambition and cruel, selfish _cunning_. That was the way of the serpent, the way of survival. And that was the way of a leader. He was not about to give that up without a fight!

"He he! The boy king is ssssssshowing his clawssssssssssss! Let ussssss teach him the value of cauttttttion." His voice an eerie whisper. With a flick of his tail, he directed a few score more snakes to leave their hidden cover and strike into the hyena's vulnerable flanks. Their momentum was already ground to a halt in the face of his snakes and the extra pressure would hinder the hyenas killing capacity even further, while turning the battle in his favour. Over time, their advantage would grow exponentially.

"Abyss! The hyenas will not survive the battle!" A viper next to him said excitedly. Abyss said nothing. He didn't know precisely how many hyenas had escaped Carroscirr alive when Amun had brought down the citadel (thanks to one of Abyss' minions), but Kiava would not have been fool enough to attack them, nor have the strength to repel Amun's dogs, were it not a sizable force. The King would hardly have sent… Ah ha! There they were!

As he had expected, a second force of hyenas came tearing onto the battlefield, crushing into the eastward flank of his serpents who had gone to intercept the first. Trapped between two forces, they began to die at alarming rates. The viper near him let out a groan, but again Abyss said nothing, his eyes, unblinking, surveying the battlefield.

He briefly considered sending in another few squadrons into the flank of newly arrived force, trapping _it _between two forces and turning the tide back in _his favour. _He discounted that idea quickly. Without sufficient information, he had no idea what else Kiava could throw at him. If Kiava had more hyenas, as was likely the case, then Kiava would simply send _another_ force of his own to do the same and the cycle would repeat itself, turning the battle into an ugly grinding of resources. The battle would be won by one side suffering heavy losses and the other suffering obliteration. Without knowing precisely how many hyenas still lived under the lion king, it would be a risky gambit, and there were other avenues still open to him before making that desperate ploy. Besides, Abyss was loath to sacrifice his entire army in a single battle. He might need it.

"Order the forcessssss to pull backwardsssssss, to the eastern outcrop, conssssolidate our forcesssss – but do _not _let them become sssssssssurrounded. Only the _cccc_centre forcesssssss. The flankssss need to presssss forwardssss. Reinforce the wesssstern flank." He ordered quickly.

* * *

Kiava watched the battle unfold. He smiled grimly, as the second force he deployed was collided with Abyss own. Ed was a respected leader, despite his… quirkes… and Kiava trusted him to lead that group hyenas well. Something shifted though, as Abyss manoeuvred his battling forces rather than send in more to bloody fray. What had been merely two undistinguished shapes of hyenas and serpents, pitched against one another, with the heaviest of fighting where the two met, now began to shift and move, changing shape as Abyss began to employ some new tactic against him. He frowned.

_Oh._

His forces let out a yelp of excitement as they began to clear their way through the snakes in the centre of Abyss's line. Enraged and blood-crazed, they moved further and further forwards pressing what they assumed to be their advantage even as Kiava cursed, hoping the hyenas would remember their drills, to only press forward with caution.

Many of them canines did, but a good number, frenzied with blood and death, pushed forwards heedless of the danger and the serpents' fighting line began to form a crescent, the flanks of the snakes' forces beginning to encompass those who had overreached. He knew the pattern.

If his troops kept to their present course, they would be surrounded in quick fashion and crushed. It was as if the entire of Abyss's forces were one giant snake and it was twisting, coiling, tightening around its prey, chocking and squeezing, cutting of its life blood, its air until it withered and died.

Kiava cursed, loath to tip his paw too soon, but anxious not waste lives.

"Go Ookai! Bruce! Now!" He called and the apes, flanked by one and half dozen hyenas rushed to the aid of their fellow, to prevent them from being surrounded. Bruce charged first, running on his knuckles, the great silverback slammed into a serpent like a rolling boulder, his hands swinging like a pair of hammers with all the newtonic force of a stampeding elephant and the grace and elegance of an ice-skating rhinoceros. He seized a serpent by the neck and began to choke it, before kicking another one high into the air. Ookai span on his shoulders (Bruce was not inconvenienced in the slightest by the additional weight) and threw a medium sized rock at a snake, catching the pouncing serpent in the jaw, sending teeth (and the offending snake) flying through the air to land in a pool of blood. Any snake seeking to take advantage of his smaller build or weaker state was sorely disappointed to find the golden money staunchly defended by a towering fortress of silver furred muscle.

"Ha! Take _that!" _A voice cried, asTimon, armed yet again with one his large wooden spears, span one like a quarterstaff and leapt through the air, landing on the head of a surprised looking snake. The reptile was further surprised by the sudden and jarring sensation of having several inches of wood inserted through the top of his head, through his mouth and tongue and out of his jaw. He shrieked for a moment (a process further inconvenienced the stake holding his mouth closed), before Timon whipped the weapon out of its present position and causing the wound to explode into new bouts of bleeding, blinding the enemy snake with further pain.

Timon grinned, before spinning the weapon once more warding off several cautious snakes who, distracted for the moment, were taken aback when Bruce turned to one side and gripped a boulder with both hands. Grunting, the gorilla held it aloft for a moment, before throwing the ballistic high through the air. It handed with a crunch on one enemy snake and continued to roll, injuring a few more before coming to a rest. Ookai gave a whoop and patted his friend on the back.

"Nice shot Bruce I –" He was cut off by the angry attack of another serpent, which struck at him. Panicked, Ookai grabbed at it and struggled for a moment. Anger griped him and in a mad rush, he bit forwards, pulling the snake taught for a brief moment before his narrow and sharp teeth bit into the snake. His teeth were designed for the crunching of beetle shells, and the hides of snakes were not dissimilar. Besides, he quite enjoyed the crunchy kind.

Around them, the hyenas fought with appropriate viciousness, fighting and dancing around the strikes of the snakes. That was a weakness of theirs. The legless killers unleashed their strikes and then recoiled to their original position before moving again. They were quick and dangerous and had the stamina to keep going for hours. Importantly though, they lacked the brute strength to push their advantage and pursue their prey should they miss their initial strike. Asante shouted, trying to keep the unfamiliar unit she had taken command of together as the group. They were decent fighters but lacked the stamina of her beloved _shadowpups_ and were now beginning to tire somewhat. She gave a bark and then gasped in pain as two lancing points of pain burst into radiant existence on her rear leg.

She turned, gasping to find a green wriggling snake affixed to her side, long and curved fangs driven deep into her side. She stumbled, as more pain pulsed through her and turned her neck, trying to grip the snake between her teeth, intending either to bite the snake so hard it screamed and released her, or else rip it free from her side. To her increasing fear though, it remained out of reach. She grunted as a second snake used her distraction to strike at her and she barely dodged in time. She moved, but was limping now on one side as the same snake coiled for another attempt. It dived at her, aiming for her throat, before being snatched out of the air by the teeth of a fellow hyena, having ran to her aid. It stumbled for a moment, before tossing the snake high into the air and then catching it in his powerful jaws, which bisected the snake in a single snap. He turned to her and nodded in acknowledgement, before bounding away. She didn't have time to register his face, nor his name. But he was fighting for his home the same as her.

Asante, fanned her anger like the spark of flame it was and with a short burst of power she send a bolt of force along her body, which, with a flash of luminous majesty sent the serpent flying through the air, screaming in fear as much as in pain. Asante was tired though and the use of magic on her unrested form was draining – more so than it should have been. She grunted, steading herself and regaining her balance. _Caution. _She reminded herself. The battle was not won yet and if she intended to survive it, she would need to fight with more skill than this. Giving a crazed laugh (which, given her species, was nothing too concerning) she circled her forces, bringing them into a tight formation and leading them backwards, withdrawing for now from heaviest of fighting (though not retreating) and allowing Bruce and his contingent of relief fighters to take some of the heavier fighting as her own recovered. Momentum was the key to a conflict. Keeping an overall momentum, while denying it to her foes. If her forces were miving, flowing and pulsating with aggression and energy, and her enemies stagnated into confusion and exhaustion before her did, then she could not fail to win them the battle.

* * *

Abyss watched in horrified shock as more and more of his forces were wiped out.

"We seem to have underestimated the magnitude of their resolve…" the viper commented. Abyss hissed.

"We sssseem to have underestimated the magnitude of that gorilla's bicepsss, I would sssuggest!" He snapped.

The appearance of the gorilla and his own force of hyenas was not, in retrospect, unanticipated. He had known that Kiava would never be so foolish as to deploy all of his forces in a single sweep. That was the sort of thing Sekmet would try. Brutal, aggressive, offensive and ineffective to the point of uselessness. What _was_ unanticipated was the ferocity and the skill with which the gorilla and his followers dispatched the serpents. His strength was huge and that golden monkey of his – _was that thing _biting _the head off one his troops? _He ground hisfangs in frustration. Each move he had made so far, Kiava had countered superbly. He could almost admire the young king. If her were not so foolish. He should have waited more. He had the time, and the forces, but it seemed the young was impatient and reactionary when it came protecting his troops. Now he had moved too early, and he would pay the price. Starting with that gorilla! He hissed.

"I'ssak," He called to a lieutenant, who had been lying in wait behind him fidgeting for a while now.

"Now issss the time to crusssh them once and for all. Lure them into the trap. The naked serpentsss have done their part. Now, is the time for us to ssstrike back with impunity! _I'ssak_, _Sif_, lead the constrictorssss into battle! For glory!" Abyss roared, seething now with anger. It focused his not inconsiderable intellect into a merciless genius.

The hyenas were proving to be most resilient. He had hoped that they would be battered and broken from their fight with Amun, but if anything their victory over the Shai'tan had merely reinvigorated them new passion and new strength! Now though, that was to change. From under rocks and under boulders, in holes and tunnels and secret places, in the shadows and out of sight, a full two dozen _monstrous_ serpents began to crawl from beneath their shelters. Pythons and Boa, asiatic, african, oceanic and eruasian. Great Wyrms from across the Imperium. The massive constrictors were the powerhouses of Abyss' armies, each of them at least two thirds his size. The King had been a fool to imagine that he had merely unspecialised common serpents at his command.

The wearer of the Venom Crown could call upon great strangling monsters and now they made their way through the ranks of the hyenas. They were large beasts, the larger ones easily the size of a grown leopard and dwarfing the hyenas and lion cubs alike. Their fangs were sharp enough to ward off unwanted attacks to the front, but their strength was in their muscle. The entire length of the pythons was one giant squeezing _muscle_, capable of chocking out the life of anyone and anything unfortunate enough to come into its coils. In the short term, they could seize hold of prey, shattering bones and immobilising enemies for a friendly to dispatch on their behalf.

They were also difficult to kill.

Their armoured hides were twice the thickness of their lesser kin and even now, Abyss watched one great boa waded through the ranks of hyenas towards the foe, with not one but two hyenas, trapped in its coils, one held high in the air as the great snake suffocated the foe, keeping it off the ground, the attacks of the hyenas trying to release their allies completely ineffective.

Abyss smiled grimly. If the beast had wanted to, it would only need to increase the pressure _slightly_ and the blood circulation of the creatures in its coils would be severed, killing the hyena in a few minutes. A little _more _pressure and he could snap the neck of the hyena he held in its vile twisted form. Instead, the serpent merely allowed the hyena to hang there and be chocked to death slowly as the hyena's struggles became feebler and feebler and his face turned first red and then blue. Finally its eyes rolled back into its skull and it hung there, limply. Within moments, the rib cage of the second hyena was shattered under the strain and it too went still as its chest collapsed with a grisly '_crunch'_. The great boa gave a contemptuous 'flick' of his tail and both bodies were hurled to land on and further hinder their former allies. Abyss smiled, his forked tongue flicking out as he did so.

"_What will you make of thissss, you majessssssty?" _He wondered aloud.

* * *

Bhagari watched the destruction with a stern gaze. He shook his head.

The hyenas under Asante's command were holding, thanks to Timon's and the Apes' forces, but the tide was slowly shifting into the snakes favour as the canines began to tire and become more and more exhausted with the battle. The stamina of the serpents seemed unending.

If the battle became a simple tug-of-war before collapsing into a war of attrition, they would lose. He needed to send aid to the apes' troops. But it was too soon. If they committed them _now_ Abyss would simply match them with more forces of his own and wipe out the survivors. He looked to Kiava who was ashen faced, but still standing strong. His gaze was piercing, staring intently, though Bhagari thought he saw a shiver of something else in his eyes each time a hyena fell. Some would recover from their injuries after the battle.

Some would not.

At any another time, Kiava might have resented being forced to make such a display of cowardice by holding back as others died, but he did as he did with ice cold pragmatism.

"The hyenas are holding." He observed with a trace of pride. Kiava nodded.

"It is close now though. Many of them are dying." Kiava said and almost seemed to be visibly struggling with the concept. Just because he restrained himself, did not mean he found it easy.

Zuri stood next to him, looking sad, though her greatest concern was for _him_. Bhagari nodded, looking at the young King.

"They are experienced warriors, fighting for what they desire, what they deserve and for what they believe. Can you think of a better way dying?" Bhagari asked, trying to lift the young lion's confidence.

"Of old age. A long time from now." Kiava said softly. Bhagari shrugged at that. That was for philosophers and theologians to discover. He was a warrior. He had no such need. Kiava's eyes narrowed as he looked out across the battlefield. Then he began to curse and Zuri looked shocked.

"Kiava…"

"It's the pythons! They are under the rocks! Kings damn it! They're among the troops – they're isolating them and picking them off like one by one!" He gasped, starting to sweat. Bhagari looked across and grunted.

"They're being butchered." He eyes narrowed, and he cursed. "If they break the lines, we'll be devastated and won't be able to recover. We need to pull back. We need to order them to fall back, to regroup!" Bhagari said urgently.

"The constrictors are slow and vulnerable now, the blood frenzy is over – we'll lose more in the retreat than in the same amount of time if they stand and fight!" Kiava muttered. Bhagari growled.

"Perhaps, but you'll still have some warriors by the time their work is done." The dark hyena said, though he looked anxious. "And the sooner you do so, the more you'll save."

"No." Kiava said. Bhagari felt as though he'd been punched in the face. "What do you mean no?!"

"If we pull back from the constrictors, the left flank will lose its advantage and they'll be cut off. If we don't press the advantage they have now we'll lose that flank and those left will be fighting on three lines! It will be a massacre." Kiava said. Bhagari began to fidget.

"But… Asante's on the _right _flank, the one being attacked _now_! The constrictors are tearing them apart!"

"The constrictors are a supporting force. They are only as good as the grunts that fight around them. Kill enough of the grunts, and the constrictors threat will fade with them." Kiava said, though his eyes were unfocused. He ground his teeth. What to do. What was the way out? He needed to either reinforce the points being attacked! But that would mean sending more into the slaughter!  
Unless… Could he draw some of the snakes away from Asante's and her hyenas? How could he do that? He began to grow cold, as the solution began to present itself. It came with risk though. Terrible risk. He felt his mouth go dry at the thought. Then, swallowing, he turned to Zuri.

"Zuri… Go with Banzai and Shenzi. I need you to lead the last of the hyenas. No, not _you_, Bhagari, stay here with the rest of the Shadowpups. Don't let them think that our command has been left unguarded, or they'll be here in a heartbeat." He said, his force becoming firm.

"Where do I lead them?" Zuri asked, squinting at the way the fight was shaping. Kiava gestured.

"There. In the centre. At the heart of the fighting. Pierce their lines. Draw them away from Asante. Make them pull back _their _forces. If they don't they'll have a route on their paws."

"Only if you break their lines." Bhagari pointed out. Zuri looked to where Kiava pointed.

"That's where the fighting is the heaviest." She said, sounding worried for a moment.

"I know." Kiava looked at Zuri. "I need you to do this for me. I need that line broken. Otherwise, the constrictors will have killed so many hyenas, that our forces won't be able to challenge Abyss a second time around, even if we survive. We'll be hunted like prey." Kiava said, looking worried. Zuri swallowed, then nodded.

"I can do it. I _know _I can. Are you two ready?" She said, turning around to face the last of their forces. Shenzi and Banzai gave a laugh.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten us, Lion King! Did you think we wouldn't relish the taste of blood in our old age?" Banzai laughed. Shenzi giggled.

"Let me tell you a secret, your majesty. When you're a hyena living in the shadowlands, there is only one way you get to live to be old. And that is by being _very _good at what we do. We'll follow your lead, Zuri! Show us how a lioness fights!" The matriarch said eagerly. Zuri grinned. She had protested to Kiava that she was not just another subject here. Now was the time to show him why.

"Zuri. Be careful out there." He said softly. Zuri paused.

"Yes. Stay safe, Kiava." She said for a moment. Then she turned to the matriarch's royal guard. "Come on then, you mangy bunch of rabids! You heard the King! They're some snakes over there being a nuisance to our King! I think that's very brave of them. Don't you think we should persuade them to _reconsider _that! Its an unhealthy habit! Come on! It'll be a _laugh!"_ Zuri shouted over the excited whooping. The hyenas, far from being offended, roared their defiance and with a great exclamation of hatred and anger for the serpents and followed their lioness leader. After a few moment, if one looked across the battlefield, they would have seen a vibrant gold flare, charging at the head of a horde of smoky grey charcoal, like a bolt of flame trailing smoke into a seething mess of greens and browns and reds and blacks of the serpent horde. Bhagari watched them leave in still and silent shock. He looked at Kiava who was looking decidedly less steady now that Zuri was gone.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"I wouldn't have sent her out there if I didn't think she could do it." He said, though he looked anything but calm. "She _is_ leading our most skilled contingent of hyenas so far. She ought to be fine. _Unless I have made a mistake_." He said, looking a little nervous. For now, all they had to do was wait until the snakes began to fall back and then he could order his followers to surround Abyss. Then, the python would be defeated. Bhagari sighed, wishing he could be out there, helping Asante. Zuri attack would distract the constrictors enough to alleviate the supreme danger they represented on the battlefield, true, but he wanted to be fighting on the front line, rather than standing at the back. Asante had insisted though that the shadowpups remain as Kiava own Lion Guard. That meant he was stuck here, while she was on the other side of the battlefield. He tried to calm himself.

"You seem nervous." Bhagari said, looking at Kiava, who had begun to pace up and down from where the cliffs overhung the battlefield, as Zuri's force made their across the planes and finally made contact with Abyss's fighters.

"I have just sent Zuri, the Matriarch and her mate, right into the heart of the fighting, where the fighting is at its fiercest, on a gamble that they can break the snake's formations. If they _can't _then we'll suffer huge losses. Dozens of lives hang in the balance. Forgive me if am not the model of a tranquillity right now!" Kiava snapped. Bhagari nodded in understanding. He knew the feeling. He had little doubt that the presence of a certain lioness was to blame for the young king's anxiety and he was no less comfortable with Asante fighting so close to where they were taking the greatest losses.

* * *

Zuri, for her part, was not taking the fight lying down. Far from it, she was a blur of golden fur, a rather visible splash of colour in a field of greys and greens. She thundered into the lines of the serpents and leapt completely over the head of the first few snakes she came across. Those snakes would be more than occupied with the hyenas charging in behind her if they were smart and if they were not, they would be taken out by a vicious strikes at their exposed backs. She landed and went straight into a crouch, ducking under a snake's strike and leaping upwards with a furious snarl. She caught the serpent in her jaws and crushed it in a single bite. She tossed the carcass over her shoulder and the corpse landed with a wet slap. Then, she unsheathed her claws and swiped both in front of her. With an elegant _slice _she severed a major artery in the snake's not inconsiderably long neck. Her panting began to stabilise as adrenaline poured through her. She acted and reacted with the precision and deadly grace that she had learnt from Sarafina. A blur of claw and teeth, she still moved in a way that bewildered and confused both her allies and her enemies.

The hyenas around her fought with a ferocious and stubborn fury, unleashing strikes, slices, bites, charges and bludgeoning swipes in a flurry of attacks in multiple directions, using their agility to evade and avoid the reptiles own strikes. They were vicious, aggressive and dangerous – of that there was no doubt. It had been a mistake to think that because they fought in packs, they were somehow weaker than then the rouges and nomad lions who inspired such fear in their prey on the savannah while fighting alone.

The snakes too, fought with a style that was alien and deadly, springing forwards, darting backwards in some unfathomable pattern, a pendulum of too and fro of attacking and evasion. But Zuri fought like neither. She transitioned smoothly from one attack into the other, pulling into a defensive position without withdrawing or giving ground. There was no oscillation to her movements as there was with the snakes. No steady rhythm of attack, retreat, attack, retreat. She was a constant blur of death to those who stood before her, giving no pause or respite. It made her dangerous and the snakes were wary of her.

She remained cautious though. It would be easy to revel in her success, but Zuri was smarter than that. Snakes were not used to fighting lions. A Shai'tan would not be similarly inhibited. Even so she let lose a low growl, which she hoped would have a similar affect to the roars her ancestors had been capable of producing. Nearby, a snake rushed forward to strike at her, but a hyena snapped at it and it dived for cover only moments before teeth closed over thin air. The sea of serpents began to shift again and she crouched low, wary as a great constrictor, a boa, began to make its way before her. The titanic serpent coiled and rushed forward, faster than she had expected for a snake of its size. She ducked away, trying to keep ahead of it. Then, changing direction, she pulled pack and clawed at the constrictor, raking powerful claws across its hide. It hissed in agony and shifted its weight, slamming into her with huge force. It swept her off her feet and she landed with a thud.

"Oh no you don't!" She managed to gasp as it lifted its great bulk and slammed it into the weight, planning to crush her against the ground rather than in its coils. She slid out from beneath it with mere moments to spare. The great boa hissed again, but Zuri had danced away, pausing only to pluck a serpent out of the air sending it flying. The movement cost her though. She had overestimated her own speed, or else underestimated the boa she fought because in mere seconds it had slammed into her again and successfully held against the ground. She struggled but the great strangler was several times her weight and the now it coiled and pressed more and more of its weight against her. Great coils of muscle and flesh began to seethe around her, cutting her off from her allies – many of whom panicked at seeing her caught and fought tooth and claw to force the titanic serpent to release her. The boa grinned, great forked tongue flickering in and out, showing razor sharp fangs. It shifted again and Zuri let out a cry of pain as the pressure on her mounted. Struggling, she managed to free one limb even as the over was pinned against her side. The constrictor flinched though and Zuri felt the pressure lessen as the snake howled in pain. Zuri's eyes widened as she saw to her side, Bruce the great Gorilla. The ape had seized the boa in both hands and was now physically prising the snake from her form. It was a clear struggle though. He winced in pain as muscles fought against everything the snake had. The boa gave a contemptuous hiss and swung its mighty tail around. The muscled lash of crushing force swung and clubbed the ape in the head. There was a loud crushing noise and spray of blood. Bruce fell back releasing the snake, clutching at his face, blood dripping between his figures. The ape gave a whimper of pain and stumbled back. The constrictor smiled and bit forwards, its fangs were unspecialised but still fast and his strike sent Bruce crashing to the ground. It smiled as Zuri gave a gasp of pain. Then she bit downwards at the mass of snake flesh before her. She bit in deep, lifted her head, spat out the blood and flesh and then slammed her own jaws down again, biting deeper and deeper. The Boa gave a cry of distress, taking its eye from Bruce as it did so.

This turned out to be a mistake, as from Bruce's shadow, Ookai gave a cry of anger.

The ape leapt forwards, swinging an ivory tusk over his head in a great piercing motion as he jumped form Bruce's back.

"Get of her you _worm!" _The golden money cried as he landed, the full weight of his fall behind a single powerful strike. The tusk penetrated deep into the boa's think plated armour and struck deep beneath the surface into tender flesh and muscle. The boa shrieked in pain.

"Scum! _Vermin!" _the strangler cried as blood spilled around it. Zuri seized her chance. Freeing her other limb, she forced herself upwards, griped with both claws and then bit at its spine with raw savagery. Once, twice and on the third bite managed to get a grip tight enough to rip a chunk of flesh from its body. The boa cried in pain, blood dripping all around it, its movements making hideous slicking sounds as it shivered in its own blood. Ookai ripped out his weapon again and gave an almost predatory grin.

"I'd like to make some brilliant comment right now. Some hugely insightful passing remark. But I think I'd rather you just got on with it and died." The monkey said. The boa tried to withdraw, its eyes wide with panic, suddenly outnumbered by multiple fighters. Zuri clawed at it though, slowing it as the infernal monkey gripped onto the boa with his foot, moved with the constrictor and slammed the weapon once more through the serpent's armoured hide, this time into the beast's throat. It gave a low gurgle and began to writhe on the floor. Even this ended as Ookai twisted the tusk in its neck and blood began to spurt all the more. Then, the creature collapsed to the ground. Ookai turned to Zuri, who was pushing great masses of snake from her.

"Thank you…" She managed, coughing. Ookai grinned.

"No, thank you! I'd never have got close enough for that if it weren't for you."

"I was stupid. I got caught."

"You got caught and you won. No one else has yet." He said, smiling, then went to see to Bruce.

* * *

Abyss still watched the battle, his eyes cold. Nearby however a viper began to sliver back and forth, looking at his master anxiously.

"My Lord… I fear things do not bode well… We've taken heavy casualties. That last charge by the hyenas… What if they have more of them?" He said nervously. When Abyss said nothing, its tongue flickered. "I think we ought to consider withdrawing…"

"There issss no withdraw. No retreat." Abyss said softly. The Viper blinked. This was unlike his master's famed pragmatism.

"My Lord? I… respect your decision but… I respectfully remind you that there is no glory to be had in perceived _noble _death, no matter how –"

"There is no withdraw, because the Emperor has said he shall not tolerate any failure." He hissed. The viper almost blinked. A difficult feat for a reptile without eyelids.

"What!? But the failure is Amun's, not ours! It's not our fault the blasted fool –"

"I am _aware_ of that, but that doessssn't change the fact that if we retreat from this battle, we agree to our own executionsssss." The Serpent Lord said. The viper shuddered.

"What… What do we do? Our constrictors started to have a devastating effect, but even now they lose their momentum! Soon enough the tide will turn once more and we have nothing left!" The viper said, sounding agitated, as one might expect. Abyss grinned.

"On the contrary, my friend. Everything has proceeded as I expected it to. Even now the piecessss are falling into placcccce. Kiava has given us everything he hassss." He turned to the only non-serpent member of his entire command. A great black vulture looked at him quizzically. Abyss smiled.

"The foolsss think that they are winning… but the trap is nearly complete. The Lion King, for all his power, has proven to be yet another idiot. A sssstupid feline with more muscle in a claw than brainsss in his ssskull… A ssshame. I had hoped he would be the exception… Hissss folly will cost him dear."

"My lord? I don't see…"

"He hasssn't asked the _obvious_ question. The quessstion he should have been asssking from the _ssstart_… My word Kiava, you have been naïve!"

"My… Lord? Abyss?" The viper asked in confusion. The serpent grinned wickedly.

"The question... Snakes are famed for their venom, no? Where then, are the venomous snakes?" He asked. At his nod, the great vulture propelled itself into the air with a single swoop and from there gave a great cry, like the shriek of an eagle, or the cry of a hawk. It echoed overhead the battlefield. Once… Twice. On the third time, the Snakes writhed and twisted.

Abyss chuckled. Then barked an order. Out of the Shadows, a dozen dark shapes began to move. Scales of midnight black, their eyes mere voids in space and tongues the colour of blood.

"You have your honour guard, Kiava. I have mine…" He said. Then he laughed a laugh that would have done a hyena proud. He had outmatched Kiava, the foe that Amun had been bested by. His victory was near complete. "Come, my _elitesss. _I think it is time we finissshed thisss." And with that, Abyss entered the battlefield personally, murderous rage boiling within him. It was time to end this fight once and for all!

* * *

Kiava heard the vulture's call and his eyes widened, aware of some powerful change in the flow of the battle, his eyes darting, trying to see what had changed, what had shifted. What was different? Bhagari gasped.

"There!" There was movement, more snakes springing out from rubble, ivory, boulders. They had been lying in wait since the start of the battle, some of the seemingly dead serpents threw themselves up, revealing sharp fangs, curved, twisted, like knives in the night. They pooled out of their hideaways, right into the ranks of the hyenas. The attack seemed to come from everywhere at once – the hyenas having already passed their hiding places. The serpents struck from many sides, from many angles. Within seconds there was a collection of brand new fighters springing out of nowhere ready to strike into the unprotected flanks of the hyenas.

Kiava cursed.

"A second army? Why though? Their numbers are tiny! Surely they can't hope to… He gasped."

"No!"

"What is it?" Bhagari asked, nervously. Kiava's eyes widened further as he identified the elite serpents coming out of hiding.

"_Cobras. Vipers. Asps. _It's the poison-toothed!" He gasped. Bhagari swore. They had assumed that Abyss would deploy his poisonous snakes, scattered throughout the battlefield. Most snake venom wasn't fatal instantly. A snake who delivered a deadly bite could still be decapitated by a returned strike. In fact and hyena who knew he was a dead dog walking, would only be more vicious. As for the nonfatal poisons, the minor irritations would have weakened the army, but venomous serpents from within the ranks of the hyenas would have spread deliberating injuries, devastating their effectiveness. Spreading weakness and pain throughout his tropes. They were the ultimate support tropes. He had assumed Abyss would treat them as such and yet, against all probability, Abyss had done the opposite. Kiava had made the mistake of thinking Abyss would think like a Shai'tan. Instead, he had held them back in reserve, waiting for the right moment, the correct time. Just waiting for Kiava to overextend his forces. Then he had unleashed them. It was the epitome of a snake. Precisely the way a snake would think. The magnitude of his failure hit him in that moment and it was all Kiava could do not to sink to his knees. He felt his throat seal up and around him, shadowpups looked to him for orders. Bhagari's eyes had a mad gleam in them, fear suddenly prevalent.

"But they aren't charging us! They are already _behind_ our lines! They were lying in wait even as we cut down their allies and forced our way forward! They're cut off from Abyss's forces! Even if they kill us. They'll be annihilated in the aftermath!" It didn't make sense. Kiava though, was roaring.

"Abyss doesn't care! Spread out as they are they'll be slaughtered, but not before poisoning hundreds of our forces! Even the nonfatal poisons will weaken them enough that the serpents will have a huge advantage! They'll be slowed down, the constrictors will massacre them! He'll sacrifice every single one of them to give his constrictors the edge they need to overpower our forces!" Kiava said in sudden realisation. It hit him like cold water. Abyss would be so reckless with his tropes? Did he desire victory that much? Was he prepared to go so _far_? Kiava hadn't taken Abyss to be as willing to butcher his own troops as the Shai'tan had been in his place, but clearly Kiava had underestimated the lengths Abyss would go to secure victory. Kiava began barking orders frantically. Spread out as his hyenas were, they would suffer huge losses. The greatest of which would be at the centre of the fighting _and that was where Zuri was!_

"_Kiava! Abyss has taken to the field! He's butchering them!" _Bhagari shouted.

"What! How-"

"He's leading the _Mambas! Every single one of them! They're heading for the centre of the fighting!" _The words were a knife in his heart. Mamba. The Black Ones. The word was only slightly less terrifying than _Shai'tan. _The venom of a mamba could kill an elephant within the hour.

"Zuri!" He gasped. And not just Zuri. Bruce, Ookai and Asante too, were there! So were the Matriarch and her mate! He couldn't win this battle if it meant losing them!

"My King, we must fall back! Save as many as we can – we have nothing left to send their way! A hyena nearby said. The shadowpups began to murmur in agreement. It was frightening how quickly the tide of battle had turned. The vipers and their ilk were tearing apart the hyena's formations and without their ridged defensive lines, the constrictors were pulling them apart, leaving them to be picked off by the snakes. The hyenas were giving as good as they got, but for each serpent head they removed, two more seemed to take its place.

"There is nothing left! We have nothing else! We've given everything we have!" the hyenas stammered. Kiava looked across the battlefield and felt as though the void was swallowing him.

Now, he did sink to his knees.

* * *

Asante screamed as yet another viper bit into her. The brown worm's toxins were not lethal, but with each bite she felt her strength leave her and her limbs grow weaker. Every now and then her vision blurred and with each dose she the pain she felt build.

They were everywhere, like leeches, seemingly underfoot and in all directions. Behind her, Zuri gave a similar cry.

"You know, seeing as we're fighting snakes, I _really should_ have seen this coming…" Zuri commented, as she ripped another snake from her and bashed it against the ground. She was panting now, dripping in sweat and blood, bruised, bleeding, weakened and exhausted. Sweat stung her eye and an attempt to wipe it away only added a smear of blood to the mix from a small cut on her head. She growled showing fangs, but stayed back to back with Asante whose claws were a blur. Suddenly there was a flicker of light and yet another bolt of force erupted from Asante's outstretched paw sending a striking cobra (one of the few she knew to be fatal) spinning into the air. A second bolt fractured its spine even as it span in the air, but the effort left her exhausted. She couldn't fight in the flesh and in the spirt at the same time, no matter what she tried and she was more experienced and more comfortable fighting in the former. At times though, instinct took over, such as when she saw a killer diving towards Zuri's exposed back. She let out an exhausted sigh, but gave a growl.

"Stand! Stand and fight! For the New Pridelands!" She called out over the din and those that heard her fought back with renewed vigor. Around her though the hyenas were becoming sparser and more spread out. They had felled many of the great constrictors, but more of them were still devastating their forces and the emergence of the poisoned-toothed had dealt a severe blow to their ability to fight them. Abyss had surprised them all and Asante felt with a sinking feeling that the tide of the battle was turning more and more against them. The pressure of insurmountable an it pressed on in all directions in the form of the constrictors, the quick biting snakes, the venomous biters and the skillful and cold tactics of Abyss, keeping them fighting and exhausted as he piled the pressure upon them. Gradually, they were being worn down and the snakes showed no signs of falling back. Just as they seemed to be doing well, abyss would pull some new trick out of thin air and they would be on their back foot again and fighting all the harder. The snakes on the other paw, had never once stepped onto the proverbial back foot – for them it seemed as nonexistent as the _literal_. There were being worn down, like a great beast, struck by poison. Shenzi and Banzai were faring no better. Banzai was gaunt though and pale and Shenzi was dripping in blood, though whether it was hers or her foes it was impossible to say. Inspired by the presence of their leaders though, a young female hyena took up the call.

"Stand and fight! We can win this-ugh." Her cry was cut short by a lancing pain through her back. Behind her, a dark mamba slid away, its work already done as the hyena collapsed to ground. Abyss didn't bother to move around her, his great crushing bulk moving over her, his weight snapping bones as he did so. Abyss himself was here. Asante gave a cry and held out a paw. A blast of the four winds seared into them, crushing one mamba against the ground, but Abyss ducked under the jet of air with the speed of a viper and slammed its tail against Asante, sending her flying through the air.

"And thissss, my dear enemy, issss how you end. Not with a roar, but with a whimper. Go to sleep…. Go to sleep…." He hummed and with a contemptuous flick of his tail, the mamba's dived into battle.

Shenzi, Asante, Zuri, Banzai, all had the skill and speed to prepare their claws and raise them in time to deflect the snake's blows. Many were not. The mambas were the fastest, most lethal and most predisposed to cruelty, that they had seen among his forces and with each strike they brought cold death to their victims.

It was too much for the hyenas. The lines broke.

Then they began to route, pulling away in fear that Zuri felt was entirely justified as ice gripped at her heart so tightly she wondered if she had been bitten and that the paralyzing force she felt was not fear, but the ice cold fist of venom.

Abyss laughed as if feeding on the fear. Asante shouted and sent bolt of air after bolt of air and then a great fork of lighting against the mambas, killing two more instantly but looking more and more exhausted with each strike. Ookai swung from Bruce trying to keep the mamba's away with that ivory tusk of his, but after a few strikes the weapon was snatched from his hands by a powerful boa which proceeded to squeeze around it, turning the weapon into a pile of shards, the explosion of which left Ookai peppered with shrapnel. Abyss' eyes narrowed at it made its way towards the leader. Zuri backed away, keeping her eyes on the snake but wary of the attack from behind by a mamba or some such creature. The great python moved over to her, finding her effort amusing.

"Doesss the great _king_ send his femalessss now to do the fighting for him?" Abyss said tauntingly. Zuri backed away as the pythons great tail sliced through the air and slammed in front of her, into the spot where moments before she had been sitting. How could he move such weight?! She had never seen anything like it. Then, darting forwards, it bit down at her and she danced away only in the nick of time. She had expected a snake of his size to be a constrictor and indeed he was, but with that strike… was it possible that he was a striker, even a venomous one too!?

This was too much.

"Fall back…" She managed to gasp to her allies, but they were cut off, surrounded. Asante span around, sending out arcs of white light, now fully invested in her shamanic magic's, her eyes glowing with light and her expression one of intense concentration. She struck at a mamba that got to close, pulverizing it into the ground with her powers but releasing the power and dancing away when two more targeted her.

She swore angrily.

_This was not how I wanted to die… Damn it! DAMN! _

Shenzi and Banzai blurred, somehow fighting in close quarters with the mambas, matriarch and patriarch, back to back and yet holding off three times their number in mambas as they did so. Abyss gave a cruel chuckle as he watched their efforts.

"You should be honored to die to the deadliest serpents that ever lived!" Abyss laughed. Shenzi spat.

"I've met the deadliest serpent that ever lived. He would have been insulted to share your species." She said angrily, then stabbed forward, sending a claw through the skull of a striking mamba. Abyss hissed.

"Die. Fools. Die." He said, leaning backwards to strike at his chosen target, Zuri.

And then a bolt of golden and black lightning hit him in the side.

_He grunted. What the…_

_The lion that had slammed into his back slashed at him, making him gasp in surprise if not pain. _What?!

Kiava stood there, bearing his teeth. A behind him, came the full force of his honour guard. The Shadowpups rallied to the defence of Zuri and their leader.

Kiava was far from beaten.

They had given everything they had to give, had they? No.

"_Not everything. Not everything _I _have left to give."_ Kiava whispered, emitting a low growl. _Fine. _He wold have to improvise.

He had not stayed on his knees for long. A Lion King did not _bow_ before a snake. "Shadowpups!" He had cried "With me! Let's end this!"

It was hardly a second army, but for how they cried it might have been. The King had charged with his command, his Lion Guard (as Asante had insisted in calling them.) and Bhagari, a few stragglers who had retreated when exhausted or injured, but now judged to be well enough to fight again.

Barely a dozen in all.

It was the only reinforcements that they were ever likely to get.

It did not deter them though. They charged into the mambas heedless of the danger and one by one, Abyss' forces were cut down. Around them, the hyenas who had started to flee turned and fought. The poison tooth's venom seemed to fail them as more and more of the wounded hyenas gritted their teeth, climbed to their feet and howled in defiance, headless of the pain they suffered, ignorant of the fire in their veins.

They gave a fearsome cry and began to charge forwards. The King was right. They had more to give. Much more. They could still fight! And that meant that they could still win!

The Pridelands would stand, come what may! No schemes, no plots, no cruel japes, no poisons or magics or deceptions could ever hope to make for that! Cheap tricks could not hope to stand against the wrath of a Lion King!

Kiava gave a growl.

_Father, Simba, Mufasa, Taka, Ahadi! Whatever it takes! Whatever the cost! I will _not _let the Pridelands fall before we've even risen again! I swear it!_

Kiava gave a loud shout that was almost a roar. His cry was echoed by Bhagari and soon everyone who fought with him. They screamed their war cries and charged. The hyenas refocused and fought back. It took a lot to kill a hyena and no _maggot_ with delusions of grandeur would not be the end of them or the vision that they now shared!

Abyss roared as Kiava struck at his side once more and the python shifted his titanic form to confront him. A few of the remaining mambas made to attack him, but Abyss hissed in anger. He didn't care if was childish or foolish. He was angry now.

"**No! The King isss ****_MINE_****!"** He hissed and the King and the Serpent Lord began to circle one another.

Kiava drew his claws and growled. Abyss hissed, baring his fangs. And then they charged at one another. Abyss struck first, the great python was huge and its bulk was a mighty weapon. Every attack had a huge momentum behind it, ready to bruise and bludgeon, keeping Kiava off his feet and off balance. Kiava's claws flashed, but did not penetrate very deep into his adversary's hide. The snake's leather was not plated, but it was tough and very difficult to puncture for his juvenile teeth. By contrast, although not a particularly venomous serpent, Abyss' fangs were long and hooked, designed to be used to pierce and hold prey, while wrapping coils of muscle to strangle and crush its next meal. They were not alone however. Though none came to such great size as his two great hooked fangs, there were many razor sharp and hooked teeth in the predators mouth and these lashed out now towards Kiava and gripped tightly around his forearm. Kiava shouted in pain and the snake lurched, jerking its head to one side, dragging the young cub around, twisting his limb painfully and slamming him into the ground, before rushing forward with its great bulk. Kiava groaned, but lifted his claws and struck out at the snake eyes, his claws coming close to the exposed and unblinking eyes, causing the snake to flinch and release his other paw.

Kiava fell to the ground awkwardly and winced in pain. He could also feel a cold rushing throughout his body. Abyss' clearly possessed some kind of venom as well – unusual for a snake of his size, though thankfully, the vile concoction was not instantly lethal, unlike the mambas who formed its honour guard. He shook his head, grinding his teeth and growling.

Abyss smirked and then tried another tactic, pulling itself close together and lifting his great neck to great heights, out of range of the lion cub's claws. He glared down at the lion cub and feigned a strike forward, before jerking around his great mammoth of a tail, in a whip like motion. Kiava leapt high and cleared the tail swipe, much to the snake's surprise, who was rendered unbalanced. Pressing his advantage, Kiava rushed forward and barrelled into the snake's side, knocking the hissing creature to the ground. Then, he leaned forward and bit down hard again, straining to puncture the snake's armour. His teeth had little effect, but his claws practically bounced off. Even so, his weak efforts made the snake wince in pain and hiss again. The snake moved backward and then slivered across Kiava's line of sight, twisting his neck, cutting Kiava off from his escape as the young cub made to dance out of combat again, using his agility to stay out of the pythons reach, blood already trickling from many wounds.

Kiava panted hard. This was not the plan. He had intended to overwhelm Abyss with many wilddogs, attacking from multiple directions to keep the serpent lord contained and finished him off with hundreds of tiny wounds.

Unfortunately, although across the battlefield his forced teared apart the other snakes, Abyss' paranoia and selfishness had lead him to withhold his most powerful servants from the fight, even at the cost of huge casualties.

Now though, the mambas kept each of his allies occupied, none daring, not even Zuri, to divert their attention from the lethal foe they fought. A single misstep would spell the end for them. So he fought the great python alone. And he was losing. Kiava tried to maneuverer away, but in the flat terrain, littered only with a few bones and rocks, the snake's form was almost fluid and everywhere he moved, Abyss needed only to shift he weight to be there waiting for him. He tried to duck under another strike, then dodged the expected tail swipe but yelped as the python feinted and instead rushed forward with a body slam that hit Kiava in the front, sending him sprawling to the ground. Kiava's head was ringing and something slick was sliding down the side of his head where the blow had connected. His thoughts seemed sluggish and he moved away, but without pause, Abyss was capitalising on his vulnerability and Kiava scrambled to get out of the way. Then, with a cold horror, Kiava felt something cold and heavy close around his foot as he pulled away, a moment to late. Abyss hissed in triumph as Kiava's foot caught in one of his coils and then be began to squeeze.

Kiava let out a burst of pain and gasped.

"_Gotcha…" _Abyss hissed and chuckled, as he dragged the prince towards him and more and more loops began to form around the injured limb and up. Then, one made its way around the young prince's chest. Kiava tried to force it away with his paw, but only succeeded in pinning his own limb to his side. The great serpent shifted and then lifted.

And Kiava's feet left the ground.

It was a strain on the serpent too it seemed, for Kiava was not a light creature, but he gave a hiss of triumph.

"How dissssappointing. I was so hoping for more of a challenge. But like any of the warm-blooded, you don't seem to have the _heart _for it." Abyss gloated. Kiava struggled, swinging his one free limb towards snake, but the serpent only retaliated by tightening its vice like grip. He hissed and turned and suddenly Kiava's vision flipped and the young cub was dangling upside down and ice like pain shot through him as the snake bit him in the exposed back. He flinched and writhed but the snake merely laughed.

"You know, it's funny… People always looked down on my kind. Untrustworthy. Sneaky. Our cunning and our guile wasn't seen as something to be lauded, but something to be scorned. He can kill a Lion King with a single bite and yet instead of being treated as great warriors, we were shunned. Now look at you. Are you feeling high and mighty now?" He bit again. "That's right! BOW! Are you feeling superior now?" More pain. Kiava couldn't hold back a scream. "Now who's the one scraping on the floor? Now who is the one crawling on their bellies before their betters? What does it feel like to _squirm?" _The Python asked him, laughing. _He was toying with him. _The snake wanted to watch him writhe in pain, rather than simply crush the life out of him. Even so, he could barely breathe and his vision began to blur. Rocks and bones littered the sky – no the ground – above his head and forced himself to roar and to swipe at the snake. With his breath caught, he could barely manage a soft growl. Abyss laughed.

"Pathetic. Truly pathetic. You've been outsmarted. You've been outfought. And your sacrifice… has bought you… nothing." The snake's grip tightened more and Kiava screamed as his arm was strained, pain lashed out in it, burning and Kiava knew with dreadful certainty that any moment now, as the snake increased the pressure, the ring of muscle around his waist tightening millimetre by millimetre, that soon and with a great _snap _the bone would shatter and break. He shouted, his other arm falling limply above his head. He gasped for breath, adrenaline doing nothing to stall his pain. Blood trickling down his side. For a moment his eyes screwed shut and nothing else existed.

"When I kill you, the slayer of Amun, I will be exalted above all others! The Emperor will name _me _Shai'tan! Who said that a Shai'tan had to be a tiger? When I prove myself greater than Amun, the Emperor will reward me in kind – and then? Then _I _shall _rule_. The Age of Kings is _over. _And with you, the last echoes of its memory will be _erased_." The snake hissed quietly, his eyes wide and manic." His power would grow. Even the River Lords would respect him! They always had more in common with his kind than any other anyway. Kiava shouted in agony and now a few of his allies had realised his peril and turned their actions to his aid. But their distraction was their doom, as quick enough, those who turned to help Kiava was cut down and his other allies left only further imperilled by increased foes. The hyena shaman was exhausted, the lioness cub already fighting three mambas at once and the others all otherwise enraptured by their own fights. Kiava, surrounded by allies, was well and truly on his own.

"How, did you manage to defeat Amun?" Abyss hissed, leaning in close to the King, his fangs displayed and his face almost pressed against the lion cub's terrified form.

The Lion's eyes opened and they were focused and cold.

"I was _better_."

He said.

His clawed paw brushed against the ground, his claws closed around something.

It swung through the air. The rock crushed against the snake's face. With a loud _crack, _one fang was ripped clean from his jaw and shreds of skin torn from the side of the snake's face, scraping into sensitive muscle.

Sharp spikes of pain rang through the snake's face, who screamed and lurched and pulled away, releasing the lion, who – like all of his kind and their cousins – landed on his feet and then leaped towards him. Blinded for a moment, Abyss writhed through the air and Kiava's punched caught him. The breath was knocked from him and the titanic basilisk of a snake fell to the ground. Then Kiava was on top of the snake.

The snake writhed, his eyes widening. His leechlike body possessing no limbs with which to strike at Kiava, nor any other appendages with which to remove him. The Young king lifted the rock a second time and swiped down, hard, smashing it once more into the serpents head. The snake howled in pain and tried to writhe away, but Kiava straddled the python, pinning it to the ground with his clawed feet.

"I killed Amun, Lord of the Shai'tan." He lifted the blood stained rock high in the air and crushed it down again, causing the serpent to scream.

"I out smarted him."

_Thud. _Screams.

"I outran him." _Thud._

Shrieks of pain, hisses of anger, cries for mercy.

"I crushed every" _Thud. "-_vital bone-"Thud_. "-i_n his body."

Abyss' screams degenerated into formless gurgles. _Thud. _He lifted the boulder high with both paws. It glistened red.

"_Like this_."

_Thud- *_**_CRUNCH*_**_._

The sickening sound permeated the air.

"_Then, _I killed him_."_

Kiava slid off the twitching corpse with a breathless gasp. The boulder fell, slick with blood, from his paws. Abyss didn't move. Between the rallying of the hyenas and the detah of their leader, the resolve of the serpents collapsed. Those that didn't found themselves surrounded and killed.

Across the battlefield, terrified at the death of their leader, snakes were being routed and the last of mambas destroyed. Zuri decapitated one, then sliced another to ribbons before crunching the last in her teeth. Asante send arcs of light towards one that left it howling in pain and then silent. Bhagari sent one flying through the air and Bruce dropped a boulder the size of his head on top of another mamba with a sickening_ squelch._ The fighting began to die down. Around them, snakes fled in panic, many fleeing in different directions, scattered and lost without direction. The mambas were all but exterminated, the constrictors devastated and the vipers and strikers decimated by the conflict.

In all, a successful day.

Ookai and Timon speared a final mamba with a joined strike, the smallish meerkat's eyes wide with fury and even Ookai looking fiercer than usual, with blood dripping from his wounds, turning his golden fur a molten bronze. On the eastern horizon, the sun was beginning to set, but among the hyenas, though exhausted, there was the electric beginning of celebration.

_Victory._

The taste was sweet. Few had dared hunger for it again, not wishing to tempt fate after their initial success, but now, now they enjoyed its radiance.

Zuri turned to see Kiava, still standing, though favouring one side and clearly injured. He gave a small smile. Around them, the hyenas were clearing up, those few who tried to stand and fight were soon cut down where they stood and those that ran were chased from the field. Kiava exhaled and though his form was littered with wounds and injured and he was fairly certain Abyss had cracked a rib, he was still alive.

Shenzi and Banzai began to relax and their daughter severed the head from the final mamba, the last of their enemies around them, with a vicious snap of her teeth. Ookai and Timon were perched on Bruce's shoulder and the great gorilla seemed to sage as he sat down, many dots of red resent on his silvery grey fur where fangs had pierced, though mercifully alive.

Bhagari made his way to Asante, who turned to him, an expression of profound relief on her face.

"Bhagari… Thank you…" She managed to whisper. And Banzai and Shenzi barked a laugh.

"A very timely intervention, friend. And a timely intervention from the King. I must say, I wasn't expecting the King to take personal action today…" She admitted. Kiava shrugged.

"Neither was I… I was forced to improvise." The hyena gave a smile.

"I am thankful for it… We have won, but we paid a heavy cost. A cost that was very nearly much higher. You have our thanks, the both of you." The matriarch said. Bhagari bowed.

"It was an honour, your majesty and a pleasure." He said, glancing at Asante. The hyena princess blushed.

Zuri gave a sigh of relief, looking around and seeing that her closest allies had all survived the battle.

"You hyenas… are really something." She managed to gasp between deep breaths. Asante gave her a smile.

"Oh, we're something alright. But I have never seen _any creature _take on three mambas at once, nor seen a lion cub ever bash out the brains of a python with nothing but a rock. Whoever says lions are lazy and stupid didn't have the misfortune of fighting one." She said, betraying a begrudging respect to both lion and lioness. Zuri gave a smile.

"The Shai'tan won't know what hit them." Bhagari said, giving a cruel grin that made Kiava shudder. _Not lions. _He reminded himself.

"What a terrible tragedy." Zuri said, with a perfectly straight face. The hyenas erupted into laughter, Asante the most. Zuri grinned and then, turned to Kiava, who was walking a short distance away, shaking his head and fur free of the blood. Abyss' death had been… messy… He kicked over a serpent corpse next to him.

What a waste.

He threw a mamba's limp body apart from them and it landed in a pile with the rest. They would have to do something about this level of carrion. Snakes were no good to eat, unless one possessed certain immunities. Vultures might take some of the less venomous ones, though Kiava was concerned about attracting a species known for its prevalent (though not universal) support of the Imperium and its allies. He gripped another one nearby and paused, the body still held in one paw, an idea forming in his head. Perhaps they could use the carnage to attracted buzzards and vultures more sympathetic to their cause? Temporally lure the allegiance of some, while they figured out a way to deal with the ones hostile to them? Zuri looked at him, questioningly, seeing the gears of thought whirring in his head, aware that he was planning something.

He turned to both Zuri and Bhagari, who were speaking to the hyena's leadership.

"Bhagari? Do you think- Agh, ARRRAH!" he shouted in agony.

Ice.

"Kiava!" Zuri gasped, as Kiava buckled in pain, a new sensation burning through his arm – not unlike Abyss' venom. But where the python's unusual venom had been cold, this was a searing, burning, torturous pain that blistered its way through his arm.  
Kiava dropped the serpent he held in his claws, falling to his knees as a crippling sensation began to take a hold of him. Beneath his claws, the mamba he had griped moved, it's still deathlike state a last ruse, in an attempt to escape death.

Well… Snakes were nothing if not cunning. What had Kiava expected?

The mamba struck again, sending more bolts of pain through Kiava's arm and the young cub, already weakened form his fight with Abyss have a low moan.

"Kiava!" Zuri shouted. Asante gasped in shock and Bhagari tore his gaze from Asante, with whom he had been conversing and leapt to his king's aid.

The mamba didn't manage a third strike into the lion cub. Bhagari collided into the Lion King's side, sending Kiava to the ground. Bhagari barked and raised a paw and the serpent struck, biting into the hyena's arm, as around them, other fighters cried out in alarm and shock, seeing the new danger. Bhagari's body jerked and he gave a cry of pain. Lightning pain shot through him and he jerked his limb. The black mamba, dangling by its fangs flew through the air, before being caught in Bhagari's mouth. He crunched once and the snake shrieked, its hide punctured and blood spilling out onto the ground. Then it twisted in his mouth and jerked, striking at Bhagari in the throat. The hyena grunted and released the mamba, falling to the ground.

"NO!" Asante shouted in fear.

Her eyes burst forth in radiant white light. Silver wisps of energy whirled around her as the storm unleashed itself inside her, the rolling tempest of energies spinning and pulsating. She howled in shock and fear and the blast of light which left her, created an audible _bang _as it burst away from her, white lightning, flickering and twisting like some many headed snake of her owe. The crippled and injured serpent could only give an expression of shock as the crackling energies slammed into its being. The worm was thrown high into the air, spinning, screaming and lightning raked his form. In less than a second, his physical being was fractured, lines of light flickering around him, before shining brightly and just like that…

Just like that…

The serpent fell apart, disintegrating into thin air, turning into ashes and dust which billowed around them.

The allies rushed to Bhagari and the King.

Bhagari was on his side, breathing heavily and Kiava was gasping for breath, sunk on his knees.

_Damn._

He thought.

_Why hadn't he seen that coming?_

Shenzi howled in anger and rage. She swore. "Hissis' own – I'll kill them! I'll tear the skin from their hides scale by scale! I'll rip them all to shreds!"

"Kiava! Kiava, Spirits, tell me you're okay!" Zuri shouted. Around them, the hyenas began to press close.

Banzai turned to them.

"Quick! Make sure everyone one of these stinking worms is dead! Rip their heads off if you have too! None of them leave here alive!" And the majority of the hyenas left to carry out that order with relish. Ookai and Bruce looked concerned and Timon was clutching his head in frustration.

Asante made her way to Bhagari, though she was swaying on her feet from the effort, her energy almost totally drained from the effort – on top of her previous exhaustion.

Ed, the last of the hyena trio looked at the King in concern, then looked to Bhagari and began to whoop franticly. Shenzi growled.

"Shut up Ed!" She said, having no patience for his antics now.

"Bhagari…" Asante gasped, her face ashen. Bhagari coughed. "You stupid old… You idiotic, worthless mangy…" Her voice began to break and Bhagari stirred.

"I know… Sorry…" He muttered, then his eyes closed, though he twitched and writhed, losing consciousness. Kiava, for his part, struggled against the deliberating pain. Zuri rushed to his side and he held out a paw, catching himself on her back and steadying himself.

"Kiava!" Zuri gasped, looking at the wounds. They were deep, each punctured with identically spaced, toxins already flowing throughout his young body. Kiava groaned.

_Damn it… Not like this… Not here! Not like this!_

His mind barley had the presence to register the thought.

_Mamba venom… it's lethal. There's no cure…_

"Asante! Please, Asante _heal _him! Quickly!"

"...I... I don't know how! I've never used my powers like that before!" Asante gasped.

Banzai growled in anger. Not with his daughter, but with the world. This was… this was beyond anything he had ever envisioned as an end to this battle.

_Not like this. "Not like this"._ Kiava muttered.

Mamba venom. It was burning him. Killing him. There was no cure. No medicine. He was beyond aid. _Damn it! _The realisation hit like ice cold water, but the pain was growing now and he couldn't focus on that.

_He was going to die._

"_Zuri…" _He managed to gasp and Zuri was there, her eyes wide with fear_. "Zuri… please… I am scared…"_

The pain was too much. He gasped once more, his breath catching in his throat and then he too succumbed to unconsciousness, falling from his knees to the ground.

_Abyss was right._

_He was going to die._

_Even in death, he and his kind, had made the Lion Kings bow._

_He was going to die._

Banzai looked fearful, then his face hardened.

"Quickly. Get them away from the battlefield. Get them back to the dens. We'll do what we can for them." He barked the order. Asante didn't move, her face collapsed in shock. Even Shenzi looked uncertain. "Now!" Banzai barked and they moved.

Bruce carried Kiava in his hands and the hyenas half carried, half dragged the fallen solider between them, both of them slipping in and out of consciousness, their lucid moment marked by moans and groans of pain.

Around them, the ground was marked with new savagery, as they hyenas went through the dead, ensuring that every corpse was not about to kill again. By nightfall the air reeked of death. And although the battle was over, for Asante, Zuri and the others, the true fear had only just begun.

_...Zuri..._

_He was going to die._

_Slowly._

_And in enormous pain._

_He could feel it beneath his skin. Burning._

_Like Fire._

_...Zuri..._

_Kiava Screamed._

**_ZURI_****_!_**

* * *

**AN:**

**Hows that for Drama?**

**Hopefully this didn't drag on too much, though it might be a new record in length! Over 15,000 words! Yeesh!  
When I come to rerelease this chapter during The Great Rewrite, I'll likely expand the chapter count to make these more manageable. Really, I would have preferred to split this over a couple of chapters but what happens. It's like knitting a scarf. Cutting it into once it's done kind of makes it fall apart.**

**Any comments you have the fight scenes as well, are really appreciated, since it lets me improve for the next one – all of which will be leading up to the next fight and the next and the next, with each successive fight being better and better and better! Has each fight (The brutal fights in the pits, the duels between Zuri and Kiava, the wilddogs vs the hyenas and the hyenas vs the snakes, Kiava vs Amun and the intermittent fights between the lions and the wilddogs) been distinct and unique in its own way, or are they becoming too similar? **

**As always I appreciate your views!**

**Anyway, in this chapter, Kiava spent an unfortunate amount of time directing the battle from afar, but I think he still had his chance to shine – especially in defeating Abyss and the delay made the scene all the better :D. It was a little grotesque and little unheroic, but it was the only feasible way I could think of having a young cub defeat a giant python with artificially enhanced venom.**

**On the other hand… It wasn't the great Python that got him and Bhagari… It was the Mamba faking death. That's always been the serpent's most lethal weapon there. Deception and death.**

**Stay tuned for what comes next.**

**And once again, I apologise for this OBSCENLY overlong chapter.**

**Over 15,000 words. Wow.**

**I promise, no repeat of this.**


	15. Chapter 14 - Ambush on the Savannah

**"Hello there! Man, it's been a while, I know. I blame that on exams. Best of luck to anyone taking exams at the moment by the way.**

**I've enjoyed this chapter, but like the last few, it's really jumped in size and reads more like three chapters. I guess that's the weakness to having such a rigidly defined number of Chapters on the go. It will mess with the plan if I split it into multiple chapters. Even so, I hope you enjoy this. Its starts out quite characters focused, and then we get some seriously intense action. **

**It will also have a profound impact on the story.**

**First though, here are the responses:**

**SandyDragon: **Glad you liked the battle. It's always a blast to do, but they can get confusing and samey, so it's good to see your liking the different types and tactics of the battle.

Ookai and Bruce are still important. There are lots of minor characters here, like Ookai, Bruce, Jahi, Talib, Darina, Karina, Rei, Ras, Sash, Asante, Bhagari and the named Asiatic lionesses. Since you see the story through the eyes of main characters, it will mostly focus on the main characters and their friends. Remember though, the story would feel quite different if it were told from the perspective of Rei or Talib. I've struggled with rationalising the tools they use. Generally, I think back to the first film. Scar has enough articulation in his paws to make various gestures and to manhandle a skull, and Kiara has enough skill to move around various rocks. Nuka's is played for laughs more than anything, but I generally think that basic tools like rocks, vines, gourd shells and leaves could be used well enough. Any sort of carving, or craftsmanship beyond these raw materials however would be impossible.

Still, glad you enjoyed it and I hope this satisfies your appetite for now.

**LoveNeverDies:**

Sorry to say that his chapter won't be shorter. I've written out my chapter-by-chapter plan, and it's hard to break it. If it helps, a lot of the words come from the AN, not the story.  
I've extended some of the bigger chunks in the plan into multiple chapters, and the fifth and final book will be much more flexible.

Also, good catch on the T.S. Elliot. I like the quote… It foreshadows the eventual death of this universe perfectly. There won't be a great Armageddon, or cataclysm. The Universe will simple expand, and continue expanding, until energy simply breaks apart. Time and space and light and matter will fall apart, entropy will build and the universe will simply cease. For some, it's frightening, but personally, I can come to terms with my own mortality, in the knowledge that everything comes to dust. If it were _possible _to elude death, it facing it would more frightening.  
See?  
How many fanfic writers give you this level of philosophy? I am not much of poet, but something stick with you. (Also… There will be a chapter in the next book called: "The Dying of the Light". Know where that is from?)  
Anyway, Zuri is swiftly becoming one of my favourite female characters in this books. Her arc, going from a child to a badass is one of the subtler arcs, but still very enjoyable to watch.  
We'll see what happens to her in the next chapter, but for now, enjoy!

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Glad you enjoyed the battle it was difficult to get the animals to behave in different ways. In many ways I am still struggling to get them to fight as beasts, and not as people. Many of the battle wouldn't change much I they were wielding swords and bows… As for being set up… Certainly Asamode's meddling in his creative interpretation of the Emperor's orders contributed to Abyss' failure. Asamode was wary of leaving an entire army lying around in the command of a Shai'tan loyal to the Empire rather than to him. This way, he's eliminating two potential threats at once.  
There were deliberate parallels to their fights, but also very different. Amun and Abyss are very different fighters, and for Kiava to beat both of them was a challenge. He's certainly grown as a character as a result.  
Kiava will of course become a better commander as he grows and learns the ways of war. He's already been taught both Sarafina's lone ways, and the pack techniques of the hyenas. When he returns, he'll have the slaves and the Asiatics and his own native Priderlander heritage to learn from as well.

You have some interesting idea on Kiava. I suggest you wait and see what happens. Asante hasn't ever healed a person before. But you are correct. They both received fatal does. If nothing is done, they will both die agonising deaths.

**Author: **Glad you enjoyed it! Kiava screamed for Zuri… basically because he was scared. He knows that Mamba venom is fatal, he knows that there is no cure, and he knows that there is so much more he needs to do, so much left, but all he can focus on is that he could very well die. And it frightens him. No one wants to live forever, but fewer want to die young, and Kiava, for the first time, is faced with the possibility the might not survive to see the Pridelands restored.  
As for his supposed plot armour… I'd be careful there. No character is truly safe. I take a lot of my inspiration from Game of Thrones (though mercifully, less mature in content), and in those books, no one can be said to be safe. The same is true here, as we learnt early on at the Fall of Pride Rock.

It would ruin the tension if characters weren't at risk.

**Shadow: **Finally, everyone give a warm welcome to Shadow! He's been working his way through Judgement for a while now, and he's caught up with Legacies – which means I can now respond to his reviews.

It's gratifying to see new readers join the series, even though we're heavily in now (And I fear some are daunted by the sheer size and scope of the series at this point.) You've come this far, so hopefully spotted something you like.

Every review is gratefully received, and it always helpful!

I am glad you enjoyed the battle and the different fighting styles. Each species in the series has its own unique culture and way of fighting, whether it's the formal, respectful, aristocratic of the leopards, the vengeful fury of the former slaves, the quick and lithe strikes of the Asiatics, and the heavy powerful blows of the Africana prides.

And in answer to your question, only the one of Kiava's paws is trapped, he managed to free one just before Abyss lifts him into the air and upturns him – and unwise move. Good spot though.  
I had to rewrite an entire fight scene I had planned after I remembered Marsade only has the one arm now… (Damn that's become awkward.)

* * *

**Chapter 14: Ambush on the ****Savannah**

* * *

With her daughter had departed, Almasi was left to consider what her daughter had said. So. Danyal. Could be worse.

For all the times she had feared and dreaded her daughter coming to _physical_ harm in their fight against the Shai'tan, she had never once considered the other consequences of her daughter growing up at the speed she had been forced to by necessity. She was beginning to regret that.

It was clear to her now that her daughter had been forced to mature far faster than would have been the case were it not for the arrival of the Imperium in their lands. She hadn't imagined that this might have led her young, sweet daughter to grow up so fast as to have begun to develop feelings for a lion.

She sighed.

Ah well. Too late to do anything about that now. At least it could have been worse. Her daughter, by some miracle, seemed in all other ways completely unaffected by her experiences. She wished he could be of a greater help… Her own relationships had been short lived affairs indeed.

Her admitted crush on the young King Simba had vanished within months of its arrival and even her relationship with Sara and Inti's father had been a temporary, if pleasant, state of affairs. She had desired children and though he had not and few rouges did, he had been persuaded to sire her children. Then, without waiting to see them born, had left. And she couldn't blame him.

Females were often welcomed among Prides – new blood and new genes were prized after all. On the other paw, rouge males – in stark contrast and with the notable exception of Royalty and other Pride Leaders - were treated with distrust, suspicion and even in some places, outright scorn, unless one happened to marry into the ruling family. Assumed to be troublemakers, would-be usurpers and instigators by many prides, Simba's Pride had been unusually progressive with its treatment of passer-by's, rouges and those seeking a permanent home. Males were not just _tolerated, _but afforded the same friendship extended to the females.

Mostly.

Most of the time.

But in other Prides many were barely tolerated, if they made humiliatingly formal_ request _to the ruling king which could be withdrawn at any time without provocation. Even then, just because they were allowed to stay with their mates, didn't mean that their society's perception of Pridebound males had changed.

The result was self-perpetuating, since males would – as a result of a generation of such ways –find adjusting to Pride Life difficult and be far more comfortable in the life of a rouge anyway.

Such had been the case with her mate (she couldn't expect him to change for her benefit and it would have been hypocritical to ask him to stay while she herself refused to even consider the option of leaving the Pride to be with _him.) _It just hadn't been that sort of relationship. He had possessed kindness, wit and the… looks to entice her and he had been a frequent visitor to the lands before its fall, but he was not Pridebound.

Danyal was another matter entirely.

He was the definitive Pridebound male. She couldn't imagine for one moment the thought of Danyal living the life of a rouge. He loved – and was loved by – his Pride too much. It was his home as much as anyone's.

She stood up.

She owed it to him to explain some things to him. Her daughter was her first concern obviously, but she would get over her crush soon enough and in the meantime, she needed to mitigate some of the damage.

Perhaps she was overthinking this… But no one had ever been killed by being prepared.

Danyal stood by himself for what felt like hours. His thoughts consumed by a terrible sense of betrayal and loss. He was still furious, but his anger was cooling, to be replaced by something… cold.

"Hey Danyal…"

Danyal looked up and forced a smile.

"Almasi…." He said softly. The older lioness looked down at him. Then she lay down next to him.

"Mind if I take a rest here for a bit? Old bones…" She said. Danyal smirked in amusement at the idea of Almasi being considered old but obliged and made room.

"Sure… just watch the mud… the waters fading in the heat and it left a bit of a mud slick…" Almasi smiled.

"I think, after everything we've been through, I can handle a bit of mud." She pointed out.

It was a quiet place… The grass was tall behind them, shielding them from view and the sun was high in the sky, the heavens cloudless and the sun bright. No birds sung this close to Five-Stones and so the air was soft and quiet. He needed the silence to think. Around them, there was the still surface of a small waterhole. Almasi eyed it and Danyal nodded his head.

"It's one of at least half a dozen around the place. Nowhere near big enough to water a hole Pride on its own, but it's one of many, which combined should be good for water for the time being." He said. Almasi nodded.

"It's calming, here." She said. Danyal nodded. It was. Maybe that was why he had come here. Danyal looked at the older lioness.

"So… You've heard I take it. Are you here to tell me off for running off like that?" Danyal asked. Almasi chuckled.

"You've not been small enough for me to tell you off for _anything _for quite a while now…" She said. Danyal looked down into the pool and saw she was right. He hadn't been paying particular attention to his looks at the best of times and he avoided looking at his scarred form where possible. What he saw surprised him. He did look… Older.

"So… Why are you here?" He asked her.

"I came to see how you were feeling. By all accounts you were upset." She told him.

Danyal gave a weak smile. "Oh… You know. I am fine. Its Sundar I am worried about…" He lied.

"I didn't ask about her… I want to know how _you _feel." She said. Danyal shrugged.

"I've been worse."

Almasi snorted._ Yeah. When you had Sekmet's claws sticking out of your spine._

"Don't patronise me, Danyal, you can be honest with me." She said. Danyal smiled. Of course.

"Yeah… Sorry. If you want to know, I feel foul." He said shortly.

"Want to talk about it? I am not busy." She offered. Danyal sighed.

"No. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to discuss my feelings. I want to be left _alone." _He said, forcing down feelings of irritation. The last thing he wanted to do was to snap at Almasi.

Almasi was thoughtful for a moment. Then she opened her mouth to speak.

"Do you remember when you first came to the Pridelands?" She asked him. Danyal nodded. "When your mother died… you were left parentless."

"I remember." Danyal said. "What of it?"

"As I recall… you were despondent for many weeks after that. You wanted to be left alone then. You didn't eat with the rest of us and there were very few cubs your age, though I suspect that you wouldn't have played with them if there were. You spent your time brooding in the caves behind the back of Pride Rock and when you could be forced to interact with the lionesses, you snarled when spoken to and were insulting towards the Pridelanders and the Outlanders alike. And poor Zazu had had his tail feathers ripped out at least four dozen times. Your family was dead and you didn't _want _to be a part of another one."

"That's not quite…-"

"Really? If I remember correctly, there were few who could command your respect way in those days. Except maybe Kovu and _maybe _Simba… But how often did _that _happen? He was the King!" She said. Danyal grinned.

"Yeah… Well… He was the only one I couldn't be sure would not eat me, if I ticked him off enough. Or throw me out of the Pride." He admitted. Almasi chuckled. And then continued.

"After three months… You'd been passed around by half a dozen lioness, all of them _trying _to be someone you'd attach to." She said. Danyal shifted uncomfortably. He knew well enough that that plan, however well intended and kindly motivated, had failed miserably. "Then, it was with _me _that you had your worst idea _yet_. You decided that enough was enough and that you were going off to become a Rouge. Still a cub mind you. You'd decided to become a rouge, travel the lands and got it into your thick skull to track down your father – without the _faintest _notion who he was or where he was from. You were all set to just pick up and leave. You told me so one evening, after an argument. You said you didn't need anyone else… Do you remember what I told you there and then?" Almasi asked him. Danyal paused and then looked at Almasi.

"You said… you said… "_Everyone_ _needs_ _someone_. _One lion's problems are too much for any one lion to bear alone. The world is cruel enough, without having to face it alone." _He remembered. Almasi nodded. Then sat down next to the young lion.

"So." She said. "Don't face it alone. Talk to me Danyal."

Danyal stared at her. Then the corners of his mouth began to twitch.

"Hang on a moment… That isn't quite right."

"Hmm?"

"You _did _say that… But only after beating me senseless for being trying to something so foolish!"

Almasi turned pink. That lion was too smart for his own good.

"You were a cub! Trying to cross the Outlands and become a rouge! You didn't think I'd watch you try something _so profoundly, _monumentally idiotic, not bat an eyelid and then for my first reaction, impart sage-like such words of wisdom?! You're confusing me with Rafiki!" Although Almasi was blushing. Danyal burst out laughing. She grinned.

"So, Danyal, you tell me. How are you feeling?" She asked him again. Danyal sobered. Then he sighed.

"I'm _tired. _Tired of being walked over. Tired of Vitani and her machinations. I am fed up with her plots and her schemes and her tricks. I am fed up with her carefully laid plans to lie and cheat. I am fed up with being… _used."_ He admitted slowly. Almasi sighed.

"Don't think that I don't know the feeling Danyal…"

"Do you though? Really? Tell me, Almasi… Even if we find Kiava again, what happens? Even if he defeats Asamode and kills the Shai'tan hunting us, what happens? The Emperor and his minions will keep sending people to kill us and we'll keep fighting them until… when? We kill the Emperor himself? _How_?"

"We'll find a way… If we just keep fighting-"

"But that's just _it _Almasi! Don't you see? The fight is all there is! The fight is that's **_left_**! There is nothing _after _the fight! Not for you or for Vitani or for Kiava or for me! We'll keep fighting until we die! And if all we manage to do is pass on the fight to our children, _what is the point? _What is the point in fighting if there is nothing left to win!? What do I _get _if I win?" He looked at Almasi, who was staring at him in shock. He ground his teeth in frustration. This was coming out wrong – it was sounding as though he had merely given up hope.

"What if the **_fight_** isn't enough?" He asked.

"Danyal… Don't give up hope…"

"It's not about hope or despair, Almasi. I… I don't want to fight for the rest of my life. I want more from my existence than blood and battle! I _need _something else!" He slammed his paws into the ground, the mud around the waterhole spraying through the air.

Almasi was silent, so Danyal continued.

"Even if we win – even if I survive this war and Kiava becomes King, what can you use happening to me? I can't return to my home – it's gone. I have no crown or title to reclaim. No family to seek justice for! No loved ones to avenge!"

"But your friends. The Asiatics, the Slaves, the Deserters, the-"

"Almasi! I've lied to these animals! I've _manipulated_ them! Do you think that even if Kiava returns to us and my some miracle they don't tear me apart for that betrayal, do you think that I could ever go back to… _normal? _Can you imagine any of them treating me the same as they did? Can you image they would ever look at me the same? What the Shai'tan didn't steal, Vitani has taken from me. Either I die alone today, or I die alone tomorrow." He said. Almasi sighed. How to get some sense into this young lion.

"Now you are sounding like a moody adolescent again. Do you honestly think that you wouldn't be happy in a free Pridelands, With Kiava as king?" She asked him.

"Now with Sundar as his queen." Danyal said, without missing a breath.

Almasi looked at him.

"And why is that?" She asked him softly. This was what she needed to hear. She needed to know for herself.

"Because it would kill me to stay. But more importantly, it would kill her."

"But-"

"If she becomes Kiava's queen, then for both our sakes, I would not remain in the Pridelands. I couldn't. It's only my Spirit-Blasted _duty _that stops me from leaving right away. Duty and the love for my friends." He said bitterly. Almasi stared.

"You've fallen in love with Sundar." She said. It wasn't a question. Sara had been right. The lion sighed.

"Yes. I am in love with Sundar. Happy?" He said. Almasi sighed.

"I can't tell you how to live your life Danyal. Kings help anyone who even attempts to do such a thing to you. But let me tell you something. Only a fool fears what is yet to happen… Sundar isn't Kiava's queen yet. She might never be. There is no need to give up now. You know what they say about the best laid plans."

"But Vitani said-"

"So? I am no shaman, but the future isn't carved in stone. Nothing is ever certain until it's happened." She asked him.

Danyal looked at her.

"You don't think we should all do what Vitani says? For the greater good? The needs of the many…" His mouth twisting even as he said the words and his voice trailed off.

"I think you should do what your own heart says. For your _own_ good." She stood up. "You are not a slave to this Pride, Danyal. You aren't expected to fight because you are bound to these lands. You are expected to do what is right, because it is right, but the only one who can tell you what is right is _you. _Don't become so preoccupied with what you think you should do for others that you sacrifice your own happiness." Almasi told him. Then leaning in, she rubbed her neck against Danyal and embraced him. Danyal's breath caught and he stared at her.

"I am not your mother, Danyal… But I owe you too much to let you sit in your own depression." Danyal laughed.

"What do you owe me?" He chuckled, clearly touched. Almasi smiled. Then pointed with a claw.

Danyal looked over in the direction she pointed and saw Koron and Inti together. Sara was nearby laughing. The two cubs were wrestling in the dust and were alone. Unlike the serious training they did earlier there was an effortless quality to their action now. Their claws were sheathed and their eyes were bright. Even Koron danced with a toothfilled grin, for the moment his anger melted away as he launched himself and tackled Sara to the ground who fell with a grunt. Inti's giggles could be heard even here.

Danyal stared.

"You think you just happened to come _here _to rest_?" _She asked him. Danyal choked.

"I wanted to be alone. I didn't decide…"

"No. You went where you needed, without even thinking it… and found yourself within sound and sight of the cubs in case of trouble. You didn't even notice it. She said. The brown maned lion turned to her.

"Did I?" He said surprised. He tilted his head. Maybe he had. Almasi grinned.

"_They _are the reason I owe you, Danyal. Many times over. Since Pride Rock."

Flashes of flame and burning of Pride Rock swept over Danyal. The scent of smoke and blood and burning flesh. Sights and scents and sounds burnt into his memory. Then fleeing. Fleeing with Sara between his jaws. He blinked it away.

"I didn't-"

"At the Tree of Life." Marsade's power, bursting with light, the powers of the Shaman Halien and Margane, bastardised and turned against the light. Bloodmagic and necromancy filling the air. Wilddogs and fire. His own form lifted from the ground and thrown across of air like a carcass of meat to slam into-

"In the desert…" The heat of the deserts sun, where light and heat and become their enemy and dust and sand filled their lungs. The cubs, exhausted, slowly dying before his eyes with every step they took, shelter, food, water, shade – none to be found just waiting for-

"In the jungle…" Alone, finding food, finding shelter, patrolling the area while the cubs swam and played, their worries forgotten but not his.

Almasi smiled at him.

"I saw you stand before the Shai'tan's power… _while I was helpless…"_

Almasi touched Danyal's scarred forearm.

Flashes of agony and falling. Sekmet's claws and her hatred and her power and her-

"Back at the Glade." Asamode and Rish'ut's attack… Sundar struggling with forces invisible to his sight, the cubs fighting their own foes… The Ligers – monstrous abominations unleashed upon them. Harten and Zira cut down in blood… his own attempt at averting the violence with his own life's sacrifice prevented by Sundar and Helio's interference…

The memories wracked through him, leaving him breathless. He swallowed. The he shook his head. Almasi looked at him, her eyes fixed on him.

"Did you really think that after all of that, I would be able to make myself side with Vitani over you? Did you really think that I would be so ungrateful as to sacrifice your happiness on the altar of Vitani's ambition for Kiava? A kingdom bought at such a price isn't worth anything to me." Almasi said. "You have saved my children, half a dozen times. Perhaps when you have cubs of your own, you will understand what that makes you to me, but until then, you cannot comprehend what you have done." She stared at Danyal's injuries, healed and whole though they now were. Then she looked back over at the cubs and what he had had purchased with his blood. They were now engaged in some other sport. Calin, the leopard cub stumbled upon them, looked at them for a moment. Then, at Inti's encouragement, joined them. Danyal couldn't help smile. Almasi smiled with him. Sara looked up and saw them both watching. Her eyes widened and she muttered some excuse to her friends, before coming over to them.

"And I am not the only one…" She said as Sara moved came over to them. She looked awkward.

"Hello Danyal…" She said. Danyal smiled and returned the greeting, though Sara looked nervous.

"Listen… Danyal… There is something…" She hesitated. "Something that I need to… speak to you about…" Sara began. Danyal looked at her, curious and Almasi sat back silently encouraging her daughter. Sara needed this – to figure out her own feelings, discover what they truly were. A childish crush, or something else, it needed to be sorted, for both of their sakes. Danyal was right, deception among friends never ended well.

Now that Sara had started though, she had no idea what to say. Where to start? Admit that she was jealous of Sundar? That she felt _something _for Danyal? Logically, that meant she was in love with him – but what her mother had told her about love didn't quite fit that pattern _either_. There was something else to all this and it was all very confusing. She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again. Danyal frowned.

"What's the matter?" He said, sounding concerned.

"I wanted to talk to you… about Sundar." She said. Danyal winced.

"Sara, you aren't to start worrying about me… It's my job to worry about _you._" He pointed out. Sara smiled, but shook her head.

"That's… not what I meant… Look… Um… I guess…" She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

"I need to know, about you and Sundar. I heard you speaking to her a few hours ago… and you seemed devastated that she's was going to be Kiava's mate and queen… Umm… What I am asking is…"

But how she would have formulated that sentence, she would never know, because at that moment, a humongous crash echoed throughout the grasslands and Danyal bolted to his feet. Then, the grassland parted and two dark shapes came diving through. It was Ras and Rei, returning from their reconnaissance and the panthers were panicked.

"Kiava!" Ras – or it might have been Rei – spluttered as he approached Danyal. The young lion rushed to his side and Almasi climbed to her feet.

"Ras, what's the matter?" He asked. The panthers wheezed. They must have sprinted all the way from the Zulu.

"It's the Shai'tan! One we didn't recognise at first, but I remember him from Golgorath. It's Mortread! He's coming through a newly formed _gateway_ less than a league to the south of here, by the Zulu – and he's brought a whole pack of dogs with him!" He managed to gasp. Danyal's eyes became cold and he emitted a great roar which echoed around the grasslands. He turned to Almasi, his eyes wild.

"Find Vitani and the Asiatics! Sara! Take Koron and your brother and get round up as many fighters as you can! We're going to have company!" He told them quickly and the cubs were off, seeking out their allies and comrades. He turned back to the Panthers.

"Did they see you?"

"No! They seemed to be searching for something, but it wasn't us – they have no way of tracing us through the gateways." He told them. After a few moments of questioning, he turned to see Yessen and Rafiki who rushed to him. Danyal grimaced and told them of the situation and his eyes narrowed when he saw Vitani with them. The outlander didn't make eye contact and immediately began to give sharp instructions to the surrounding animals.

"We need to withdraw to the dens and the longest of the grass. They have eyes in the air, so the savannah will be of no aid to us. If we play this right, it will be months before we need deal with the Shai'tan once more." She said. Danyal grunted.

"Don't be a fool – we can't withdraw into the dens! There is nowhere to manoeuvre and nowhere to run if we route. It could turn into a massacre if they find us!"

"Well, if we don't want them to find us it's our only option. The lionesses' can't hide in the long grass." She told him. Danyal, his earlier anger resurgent in him now, snarled, drawing looks of surprise from those around him, even from Vitani.

"Well, _I, _think it's too risky."

"It's a calculated risk."

"Is everything a game to you, Vitani? Playing with people's lives?" He asked her, coldly. Vitani flinched, her eyes widening at the insult. Then, her own anger bristled.

"Don't be ridiculous. We can't fight a Shai'tan head on yet, when it can be avoided, its idiocy. Koron, send out runners to those of us still hunting: they might be unaware of the danger and then get back here as fast as you can." She told him. Danyal growled.

"Koron. Belay that order." He said coldly. Vitani turned to him.

"_What are you doing?" _She hissed.

Danyal wasn't entirely sure. But he knew that he was not about to run and hide again. Maybe it was reckless. Maybe it was foolish. But for some reason, the very thought of giving Vitani one more ounce of humiliating obedience filled him with fury. He turned to those around him.

"Mortread. He's the Shai'tan leading the dogs. What do we know of him?" He asked. The animals looked about each other.

"He's scary. His troops will be stronger than we're used to. They'll be disciplined. He actually trains his dogs and he is brutal with failure." Sara said, remembering her and her brother's encounter during their capture on the way to Golgorath. Danyal nodded. Then Sundar spoke up.

"He's a remarkable tracker as well and one of the last to join the Imperium." She told them. Danyal looked at her for a moment, then steeled himself with determination.

"He might be a skilled tracker but he has no idea we're here – else he'd be moving with direction and urgency. He'll be looking for tracks. He'd find the caves in minutes." He said. Vitani hesitated. Perhaps he was right.

"What do you want to do then? _You're Majesty?_" She said. Danyal grinned.

"I say we press the advantage we have. He doesn't know we're here. He'll find out. I say we act while he doesn't. I say we take the fight to them." He said. "I am finished with being pushed around."

"If Mortread is as good as we've been led to believe, then he'll sense us coming. It will be a slaughter out here."

"Yes." Danyal said. "But not for us."

"He'll know we're coming!" Vitani protested angrily. Danyal looked down around them, the beginnings of an idea forming in his head.

"No." He looked up, a soft smile on his lips, although his eyes were cold. "They won't."

* * *

Several hours later, Mortread surveyed the grasslands with Harrin not far from his side. They'd managed to pull their scouting party through the Gateway and separated it into several different directions, forming smaller scouting parties. It wasn't enough for an offensive, but it would suffice for recognisance and surveying.

He sniffed. There was something in the air, that was true, some scent, but it was eerily quiet. No birds sung in the sky he found it quite spooky. He grunted as much to Harrin who merely shrugged.

"This isn't far from Five-Stones, I'd imagine. Birds don't come around here. Their instincts get all… fuzzy. They get lost and confused. Odd really. Birds normally have an astonishing sense of direction." He said, sniffing the air and holding up a paw for his pack to hold still. He inhaled deeply. He turned to the Shai'tan.

"My Lord? You're best tracker… What do you smell?" He asked. Mortread inhaled deeply, then opened his eyes. Then he shook his head.

"**_Life." _**He said. **_"So many species, I can't distinguish them… Felines and Canines mostly though."_**

"Are they the rebels we're looking for, do you think? Or just other creatures?" Harrin asked. Mortread snorted.

"**_I can't tell their allegiance by smell, Harrin!"_**

"Hmm… I didn't want to assume." The dog said. "This is the third gateway we've passed through in as many days. I'd been hoping to find at least _something_ by now." He said. He closed his mouth when he saw the look Mortread was giving him.

"**_You're not the only one." _**Oh… That was right. Mortread still had Asamode's veiled threats to worry about, true. **_"We may as well investigate this. This many animals in one place, without a particularly large water supply nor the presence of the herds to bind them together is suspicious, in the least." _**He said and the pack moved out again.

It could be nothing of course. There was safety in numbers and the Pridelands wouldn't have been the first territory conquered by the Imperium to experience something of a social revolution in the wake of the Imperium's victory. Perhaps some had simply started to defy convention in the name of a more secure existence?

The long grass of the savannah was a far cry from the dusty wasteland of the outlands and a further cry still from the jungles of his youth. His body was more than adapted to the climate, but he wasn't enamoured with the sun being so bright and harsh, nor the air so dry as compared to the jungles of the Heartlands. Water and foliage and great towering trees were his forte, though stalking through the grassland wasn't dissimilar to stalking through the thick leaves of the undergrowth of the Imperial capitol. The dogs seemed more than at home. Mortread wasn't concerned on their account.

"**_Hold…" _**He said again, pausing. There. Ahead of him, the grass seemed to part and was trodden down. The scents were strong as well. Body odours, wastes and the metallic scent of dragged meat – all tell-tale signs of a recent hunt. A hunt, with this many mouths to feed meant dens were not far away either. Most curious. He growled.

"**_Prepare to fight…" _**He hissed.

"I thought you said you didn't know if they were rebels?"

"**_Do you think they'll wait for us to find out if they are?" _**Mortread asked in amusement. Harrin nodded. Fair point. He began to bark out his orders as Mortread gave a low roar and high above him, one of the two circling shapes descended. It was a vulture again, one of his spies.

"My Lord?" It asked, looking concerned.

"**_Spread yourselves out. We've found signs of a group of animals here… I want us to be prepared."_**

"My lord, much of the grassland is very high – out vision cannot penetrate some of the thicker parts… It would be unwise to rely solely on our eyes…"  
"**_Is there going to be a problem?"_**

"_Well… Not a problem as such but… well… it's this place! It's maddening… like a constant droning, only it isn't sound… Right there on the edged… Can't you sense it? It throws off our honing…"_

"**_Noted." _**He said offhandedly. He wasn't expecting perfection – he just needed-

"ARHAH!" A voice shattered the stillness and Mortread whirled. There was a black shape moving through the grasslands. It struck out at one wilddog and grappled furiously with it for a moment, before the unfortunate dog was jerked back and dragged through the foliage screaming as it did so. Harrin's eyes widened and the commander made a grab for his solider. He lunged forward, but the wilddog was gone in a moment. Blood assailed Mortread's senses and he immediately fell into a combat stance.

"**_Stick together! Form ranks!" _**He bellowed, as more and more shapes lunged from the grass and struck at his dogs. He dived forwards at one of the shapes and his claws sliced through thin air, his prey disappearing once more.

What on earth…

Harrin gasped in pain as a pair of teeth latched onto his shoulders and he pulled himself free, leaving behind a bloody mess. He barked in anger and lunched at his attacker. He could just about make out the spotted hide of some feline before it vanished back into the grasslands. He made to go after it, but he was immediately taken from the side by yet another attacker. He rolled with the blow and threw his attacker clear.

Then Mortread was there and the panther bolted.

Around him there were similar cries as the wilddogs took hits, their foes melting back into the tall grass like phantoms.

Mortread roared.

WHERE WERE THEY?!

Then he felt a lancing pain in his back as a pair of lion's claws ran along his spine. The cuts were deep and painful and as he whirled around more flesh tore in the creatures gasp.

He turned and found the emerald green eyes of a young lion youth glaring at him. Mortread's shock and surprise vanished in a burst of anger and the tiger ran forward. The Lion, no fool it seemed, retreated, seeing he had spotted but Mortread howled in anger. NO! He was _not _melting away like all the other times. He rushed after the lion trying to keep him in his sight. His sense of smell had failed him, for the first time ever and now he was angered and bloodied.

* * *

Danyal ran, trying to keep his panic from rising. Mortread was still following. The plan so far had been working to devastating effect, but it would all be for naught if he let Mortread get the better of him now.  
Alongside him, others ran, darting in and out, striking and retreating, letting easy kills go in order to escape quickly and returning later to finish them off. Ras and rei, though exhausted, were darting in and out like carnivorous shadows and Koron's claws severed the jugular of another dog before it had time to cry out.  
Sara and Inti fought as a pair and Here and there, Vitani's scythe like blades ripped out the organs of still more. Blood reeked through the air leaving the dogs were panicked and confused and in that state, their natural pack-habits fell apart. They were vulnerable and even now more and more begun to fall.  
Harrin span, snapping at the neck of his attacker and Sara backed off quickly, avoiding the jaws of the predator. Around him, another wilddog gave a cry of pain as it was dragged to the ground. Harrin snorted, but he couldn't pick up the scent of the creatures. It was like he'd been blinded and each time the creatures attacked they melted back into the grassland and vanished once more.

Sara leapt forwards and struck again, mud dripping from her hide, covering her golden hide in its murky hue more importantly, its reeking odour masked her own scent. The filthy mud slick from their paltry water supply was liberally slathered over each of the fighters. Its own odour augmented by the addition of… other substances (Sara did her best not to dwell on that fact. It kept her alive and that was reason enough to endure the indignity and disgust of wearing another animals filth). Next to her, she saw Jahi and Talib dart past and pull apart yet another dog. The dogs relied on their sense of smell far too much and it was physically impossible to keep eyes on all areas at once. Surrounded as they were, there was always one fighter free to strike at an exposed back, or charge into the flank, or worth together to strike from multiple angles. Without their sense of smell, the dogs were vulnerable, but the tall grass of the savannah around them made it a deathtrap.

Danyal had been right.

They hadn't seen them coming.

Her heart leapt though, as she heard a familiar sound. Danyal's shout.

The young lion gasped in pain, as blood ran down an open wound to one side. Mortread growled, bearing his teeth. Danyal's stamina had eventually faltered and the younger lion now stood some distance from him, crouched low and prepared to fight. Running was no longer an option.

The brown furred youth was dripping in mud, amongst other filth and it was this which had allowed the rebels to sneak up on them. The ambush had been flawless and he was forced to admit a grudging respect for whomever had planned it.

Now though, he was facing down its principle architect and he was angered.

"**_A nice trick. But I think you'll regret it…"_**

"Not as much as you will…" Danyal said, grimacing. The cuts had gone deep. Mortread roared.

"**_Your rebellion is over, fool. Now, all will submit to the well and power of the Emperor."_** Danyal roared. _Not yet. _

He charged the Shai'tan, and the tiger stumbled back, surprised by the blow. The tiger slammed his claws up, stabbing with jarring swipes, aiming to grip hold of something vulnerable and pull the young lion to the ground, but the youth was too quick and twisted in the air crashing into the taller and heavier tiger. The blow made him stumble and he crashed to the ground, though he was quick to push himself up and throw Danyal to the one side.

"HEY!" A voice called. Both Danyal and Mortread turned and saw the familiar shape of Sara standing there. The mud was wiped clear now and patches of gold and cream were beginning to show through. Her blazing eyes were fixed on the Shai'tan.

Danyal heart leapt.

"NO! Sara get back!" Mortread span using Danyal's distraction club him across the face, and Danyal grunted.

The young lioness cub looked frightened, but she didn't back down. Instead she scowled and jumped at Mortread's unprotected flank. There was little hope she'd be more than a distraction, but that was all the opening she needed.

Mortread swore, and swiped at the cub, he claws sheathed, and sending her crashing to the ground, though mercifully, she groaned and pulled herself up again. With more of the wet mud now dislodged, he could recognise the young cub from the pits… the one that had caused so much trouble for his dogs, and for Rish'ut himself. Turning back to Danyal, he bit back a mirthless laugh.

"**_So she's yours. I guess that explains something… You seem awfully young to have cubs." _**He observed dryly. Roaring, Danyal reached up and forced his way past the tiger's claws, and gripped a hold of the tiger's neck with his jaws. The tiger struggled and slashed two wide strikes with his claws. Danyal screamed through his teeth as they bit into his front and Mortread responded by slamming his own head into the young lion's face. Danyal grunted as his mouth filled with his own blood and pulled away, coughing.

Sara's gasped and Mortread twisted, adjusted his grip and threw the young lion free from him. Danyal landed with a crash and a grunt, and Mortread stalked forwards.

"No."

A voice said, surprisingly calmly.

"She's isn't his. She's mine. Let them both go." She said coldly. Surprisingly, Mortread did hesitate as he took in this new foe, and Danyal dragged himself clear, breathing heavily. Almasi stood there. The lioness was streaked in blood, but it wasn't her own. She bared her teeth, growling.

"**_You're a fool, lioness, to challenge me alone…"_** Mortread glowered. Almasi drew her claws.

"I am no fool." Mortread's eyes narrowed, and around him, more and more shapes came into view. Vitani and Lukaan came through the grass. Sara was re-joined by Koron, and Helio stepped into view.

"Inti, Calin, Jahi and the others are butchering your dogs as we speak. A general shouldn't abandon their forces without knowing what threat they face." Helio said, smirking. Mortread looked around, and his eyes widened a fraction. He had indeed been isolated from the dogs in the chaos and confusion. Mortread was facing no less than five fighters. The tiger drew his claws.

"**_True… Do you really think that even together you are more than a match for me?" _**Mortread asked coldly. Danyal spat out blood.

"We were a match for Sekmet and Rish'ut." Vitani said. Mortread inclined his head.

"**_Aye. I agree with you." _**

And the Shai'tan bolted.

Danyal was frozen for a moment in shock, before roaring with anger.

"NO! Don't let him get _away_!"

Roaring, he charged after him, joined by Lukaan and Vitani.

Mortread ran in stoic silence. That had gone poorly. Still all was not lost just yet. He was perturbed however. The young lion's ingenious coating of mud and filth had left the wilddogs vulnerable. He needed to regroup with the dogs, get out of this slaughter, return with greater numbers, a solid flank, knowledge of the rebels dirty tricks and with enough spies and scouts in the air compensate for their lack of scent… Too much to do, too much to worry about. Mortread swore.

* * *

Harrin ducked a blow of a young leopard, and bit backwards. Around him, the original four squads of dogs had been depleted to a bare half dozen.  
Where the _hell_ was Mortread?

The Shai'tan had gone charging off into the grass, leaving the dogs to be picked off one by one! They had no back up, no retreat, and no way to open the gateway to withdraw without him?

Another dog cried out as a pair of panthers tore into its flesh.

"Hello again Harrin…" A voice said. Harrin recognised the voice at once. It was the flame eyed male cub from the pits of Golgorath. If there were any doubts as to whether these beasts were the rebel faction, those were swiftly put to rest. Harrin paused, seeing the cubs hate filled eyes upon him. He wouldn't have felt so nervous at their gaze, were the cub not backed by twice their number of other fighters. Harrin scowled, and gave a loud bark.

Then he darted forwards. If he could get his claws on the young cub, perhaps he could bargain with the other slaves for their lives –

He was brought to jarring halt through the air.

"NO!" He shouted in frustration and anger. In front of them, the grass parted once more, Sundar and Yessen stood there, and Sundar's eyes were blazing a sapphire blue radiance and wisps of its illumining glow filled her form. It was this same glow which now enveloped Harrin and held him in place through the air. Then, her eyes twitched for a moment, and the luminous air crystallised into cold ice, leaving him hung in place.  
Yessen was touching Sundar's back with one arm, and with the other he held out his rod. Harrin knew that the battle was lost before he even felt the ground shaking, the tremors knocking the dogs around him to their knees.

Amongst the chaos, he looked around wildly, for something, anything to aid them. It was then that he saw Mortread, panicked and running. He crashed through the savannah, pausing at the clearing only the drive his claws into the form of a jaguar who barred his path and throw her clear, distracting his only other foe, the jaguar's sister who rushed to her aid. The fallen jaguar gave a low moan but her injuries, though painful, didn't look mortal. A pity. Mortread took in the scene briefly.

He saw the wilddogs, overrun and almost crushed.

He saw the Shaman and his lioness apprentice, distracted and with their backs to him. He saw the pursuing lions behind him.

Then, he saw Mortread meet his gaze for a moment, before rushing past him, without looking back.

He bowed his head in surrender as former slaves surrounded them and he let his body, immobile though it was, go limp in the ice's cold embrace. It's cold was nothing next to the dread he was beginning to feel. He let out a breath in one last sigh.

"Stand down." He ordered the remaining dogs who looked as if to fight to the last dog.

Mortread had abandoned them.

.

.

.

The day was lost.

* * *

Mortread continued to run. He was strong, he was fit and he was agile. He could run without rest for plenty of time and he had built a considerable lead. His concern however, was number. Powerful though he was, he was unsure of his ability to slaughter an entire brigade of rebel fighters all by himself. It would have been reckless and foolish and possibly suicidal. Castella wouldn't be impressed.

So he retreated. It wasn't far now, not too far at all.

Danyal raced after him, Lukaan and Vitani joining him. They crashed back through where most of the wilddogs lay dead, and were joined by Inti and Sundar, her eyes glowing their shamanic light. He didn't know how much energy she had left, but their radiance was a comfort. It was a power which the Shai'tan no longer possessed and its gift would be essential for Mortread capture or death.

Mortread burst through the thick grassland and found himself back in the open space where he had first entered the area from. Not far now.

Danyal ploughed ahead, forcing himself to keep up with the much more powerful tiger with no thought as to what to do once he caught him.

The Shai'tan slowed, seemingly tiring, and Danyal pulled ahead of his fellows.

Then the Shai'tan turned around, and raked his claws at Danyal's head. Danyal's eyes widened and the lion leapt, sailing high into the air and dodging the blow, landing behind the tiger. Sundar arrived, and Lukaan and Vitani and now the Shai'tan was surrounded.

"Surrender, Shai'tan, and I just might grant you the mercy of a quick death!" Vitani demanded of him. Mortread growled, turning quickly, keeping his eyes on all of his foes at once.

"**_On whose authority do you grant such 'mercy', hmm? Don't tell me that this rebellion is being led by _****you. ****_I am almost disappointed_****…****_"_** Mortread asked.

"Do you think I care what you think of me?" Vitani asked. Mortread shrugged. Danyal growled.

"Give up, Mortread."

"**_Ah… So you are the one who leads… Kiava? Yes… I can see it in you, the seeds of a royal liner. It's in how you walk, in the heart of your eyes… You have the marks of one who leads, one who commands. You would have made a good Shai'tan…" _**Mortread noted. Danyal glared at him. The tiger was dangerous, that much was still clear.

"Do you know what happened to the last Shai'tan to make that offer?"

"**_I am not Sekmet, lion king. Did you think that killing the least of our number would prepare you to face the full might of the Shai'tan? While you pathetic rebellion still relies on sneaks and plots and schemes? A nice trick by the way. Yours I assume?" _**Danyal didn't reply, but the tiger was right. It had been his idea to exploit their trackers reliance on their sense of smell to trace them and it had worked beautifully.

"**_Your dirty tactics are effective, but they are honourless. You won't win you the hearts and souls of this land's people. They are fickle. Already they forget the old ways and adapt to the ways of the Imperium. Soon enough, you'll die and no one will rise and take your place. You'll be forgotten. And for every dog and jackal, snake and rouge, every solider of the Imperium that falls, you'll inspire more to fight against you. The ideals of the Imperium are as old as Shan-Al-Kir, and will go on long after I am dust."_**

"The Imperium stands for nothing but death and blood! And when its people see that they don't need to be afraid of you, they'll join us!

"**_It isn't them who ought to be afraid…" _**Mortread spat.

"You are defeated. You're tired, you're injured and your wilddogs are beaten and worthless. Give up." Danyal said.

"**_Beaten, yes. Worthless? No. You might have butchered my forces, but even in death they've proven their loyalty… They've bought me more than enough time…" _**He growled. Then, he let out a roar. And turned and bit down savagely on his own arm. He pulled it away and blood flew through the air, landing around him. Then, where is landed, it slowly began to smoulder and glowed a deep scarlet. Its sickly light flashed as its glow spread, engulfing Mortread as a Gateway ripped into existence at his feet, and then, like that, with a triumphant cry, he disappeared into its maw, and the gate way sealed shut as quickly as it had opened.

"NO!" Danyal shouted even as it snapped shut.

Vitani cursed.

"We need to move." She said at once. Danyal groaned. What now?

"We _had _him." He bemoaned.

"Then we lost him. This location isn't secure any more. As soon as he has reinforcements, he'll come straight back and kill us all! We need to move now!"

"This is the best location we have, and we can't fall back now! He's right, Vitani, as long as we keep running as long as we keep relying on tricks and schemes to fight, we'll never be able to win!" All this talk of plots and schemes riled Danyal and just looking at Vitani now made him angry. His emotions were hot from battle and his anger and frustration spilled over now. He turned to Sundar, who nodded.

"We have our own source of magic… I won't _run _this time! I won't let others die for me! I am finishing this right _now! _This one doesn't get to run away, not when so many have died for him!" Sundar said. Danyal looked at her.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, quietly. Sundar looked at him. Lukaan seemed to realise something and his eyes widened.

"No! Sundar you can't!"

"Do you trust me?" She asked Danyal, slowly. Without hesitation, Danyal nodded.

"With all my heart." He said. Sundar smiled, and she turned to the gateway.

"Not this time." She muttered again. She prepared her own source of magic, its shamanic source unknown.

_This isn't wise…_

A small voice seemed to say inside her. Reason said it was foolish. But she didn't want to listen to reason. She wanted to listen to the much louder voice, speaking with her own voice, crying out for vengeance. She listened to the voice telling her to reopen the Gateway.

"Sundar, last time you did this you nearly killed yourself!" Lukaan said. Sundar rounded on him. "What do you care what I chose to do with my life? I'd rather spend the life in a way I choose, then live a hated life I didn't!" The words hit Lukaan like a spike through the heart. His breath caught in his throat.

"Sundar…" What words he would have said were drowned out though, by Vitani's protests.

"_Kiava, _it's too dangerous! It's too much of a gamble! We need to fall back, to plan, to-"

"What? Suddenly not so keen to play with people's lives, Vitani? I've had it with your plans. No more planning! Now we _do _something! We take the opportunity! She can do it! We need to press what we have! We almost had him! He's weak and exhausted and we might never get as good a chance as this!"

Sundar's eyes flashed and she felt her power spill outwards and around her, searching for the invisible scratches, the spiritual scars of the gateway, before they vanished completely. If she could breach it, if she could reopen it somehow, like she had the day they had come to the Pridelands, they could follow him, follow him and capture him or kill him and finally bring about the end of one more of the Shai'tan, upon whom all of their problems lay. She took a breath, steadying herself.

"No!" Lukaan protested, looking worried. She scowled at him. What now? Hadn't he done enough damage to her? "Sundar, please! Don't! You're exhausted! Don't risk-"

Something in Sundar snapped.

"ENOUGH!" She roared. "Stop it! Stop trying to _control _me! Stop pretending you know what's best for me! I know my own mind and I know my own body and I _can _do this! If he needs me to do it, I _can _do it! I have had it with you interfering!"

"Sundar I-"

"I don't want to hear it! You both insisted we flee before, and then Da-_Kiava_ ruined the dogs who came after us! Against your advice! You'd have had us running with our tails between our legs but he's winning! Stop making things worse! All you ever do is make things worse! You put him in charge so lit him rule!" She roared. The anger made her magic flow faster and burn brighter. She could use that anger. She blasted it into the gaps, like water breaking against a damn, waiting for the pressure to build, building until it snapped and broke free and unleashed its force, blasting open the sealed gateway.

"_Danyal!_" Vitani hissed. "Stop this! Before she injures herself!"

"She knows what's she's doing!"

"Danyal! I command it! Stop it!" She protested. Danyal glared at her.

"It's hard to command someone you've crowned isn't it? Mortread was right, Vitani, the plots and schemes have to stop if we are to have any chance at victory!"

The energies around them were building now. The Gateway began to reform, glowing scarlet. Then it burst into radiant being.

For a moment, it hung there in the air, and Sundar whooped with joy. Danyal grinned in Pride and Vitani and Lukaan looked on in dumb shock as it span.

Rafiki and Yessen came charging through the savannah, their eyes ablaze.

"Don't!" Yessen managed to yell. Sundar heard the tone of fear in his voice and turned at the sound of the Shaman's voice. She had succeeded. She had managed it.

But then… Why was her energy still flowing?

Then she felt something pull on her. It was as if the Gateway was sucking the magical energies from her. She gave a cry of alarm. The task was accomplished, it was done, but she couldn't stop.

"Yessen!" Danyal cried in alarm. The Shaman began to curse and began to gasp strange words in an arcane tongue. Lukaan gave a moan and Vitani growled.

"Foolish child! I wanted you not to meddle with powers you don't understand!" She said in anger. Danyal rushed to her side.

"Sundar, just let it go! Just release the power!" He told her. "Forget the Gateway, leave it"! Just let it go!"  
"I CAN'T!" She shouted in pain as her light began to burn with brilliance.

"Yessen shouted, levelling his staff at her, its green energies wisping around her but being devoured by the scarlet light of the portal and the azure light of her own gift.

"It isn't her!" Yessen said in alarm. "Her magic is flawless, she isn't the one doing anything! You were wrong, shecontrol it!" He said in alarm.

"Then what is happening?!" Vitani asked, sounding frightened now.

"Something _else _is acting upon her! Sucking her dry! Severe the connection!" Rafiki ordered as Sundar groaned and sank to her knees. Danyal reached towards her and gasped as suddenly eh felt the pull on his own soul, feeling energies leave him, life being leached form him. He gasped and now the light shone around them both. He gave a shout and Sundar matched it.

Yessen grunted and then lifted high into the air. Hr brought his staff down with a bang the ground begun to shake. Verdant energies sprang around them both and his eyes blazed.

Something was using his apprentice.

He had thought she'd merely overestimated her powers but this was something else… Sundar was right, she _could _have done this… But now something exploited it.

Rafiki shouted in shock.

"Yessen! Now! Sever the connection its killing them!"

Yessen brought down his staff and the blast blew him backwards. The scarlet light of the energies of the gateway blasted around him and the Gateway surged. It grow in massive size and engulfed both Sundar and Danyal. Then with a flare it winked out of existence.

And Danyal and Sundar were gone.

Lukaan sank to his knees.

"No…" _Not Sundar. This couldn't have happened to Sundar. Not her. "NO!"_

* * *

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

* * *

Danyal gave a groan. His head hurt, and he was hot. He breathed in and instantly spat out the dirt and dust which came with it. He crawled to his feet.

Sundar.

Where was Sundar?

He forced his eyes open.

There.

Her dark brown form wasn't far away and though she seemed exhausted, he could see her chest rise and fall. She was alive. He groaned, and felt around for injuries. No open wounds – well, no open wounds he didn't have earlier at any rate. He remembered the flash of light and the gateway swallowing them. Ugh… Sundar began to stir.

"Danyal? Thank Spirits you're okay… Where are we?" She asked him. Before he could answer, a voice echoed towards them. "**_A long way from home, little Shaman." _**Mortread said.

The Tiger was standing over them. Danyal tried to enter a battle stance, but his vision swam and he clutched a paw to his head. Mortread leaned back, and Danyal looked around him now, and his heart began to sink. There were dogs everywhere. Five dozen of them. Mortread grinned.

"**_Oh come on now…. You didn't think I'd be stupid enough to take every single one of my legions on a single scouting mission, did you? What would be the point in scouting, if not to test for dangers, and protecting the larger group? _**Mortread was right. The greater part of his army hadn't been with Mortread when he'd been ambushed. His victory hadn't put a dent in Mortread's forces. He felt sick in the stomach.

"Mortread…" Danyal turned… and his disgust at his own failure deepened. Before him, stood yet another Shai'tan. Mortread smiled.

"**_Ah… Prince Kiava… Allow me to introduce _****Her Royal Highness, Castella-Ra. Princess of the Imperium, Daughter of Ben-Kai-Ra, Jewel of the Empire and Heir to the Ashen Throne." **He said with a smirk. Sundar shook her head.

"No…" She whispered. Castella nodded. **_"Oh yes… I have heard you've been giving Mortread some bother… Not a wise move, if you ask me." _**She said. Danyal spat on the ground. Castella didn't move. She'd been left in command of the Wilddogs in Mortread's absence and she wasn't just a figure head leader. She had the discipline needed to command and one unruly lion youth wouldn't make her bat an eyelid.

"What did you do? My powers…"

_**"Ah… My sincerest apologies…"** Mortread said. **"That wasn't me… We sensed the Gateway being blessed with, so when it opened again, I had my Shaman see who was poking through and ensnare the ones meddling in others affairs. He's hoped it would be one of the apes, but I think you're as valuable. You even did us the courtesy of bringing Kiava along for the ride. Speaking of whom… I believe you've been introduced."**_ Out of the shadows came a familiar figure. A figure who levitated a foot from the ground and whose missing arm couldn't make up for the aura of fear and dread which emanated from him.

Marsade grinned.

"Hello again, your majesties…" He said, grinning a shark like smile. The two lions could barely express their surprise and shock, and then the dark Shaman held out a palm and shadows leapt like fire from their source, moving, twisting, and writhing like tortured souls. They slammed into Danyal and Sundar, searing them with their hellish heat. And all they knew was pain.

Mortread watched the prisoners writhe until they lost consciousness. Then he nodded to a wilddog.

"**_Take them into the tower."_** He said, looking around him, at the desolate Outlands once more. Home sweet home. It wasn't pleasant to be back, but at least they had their prey.

"Yes My Lord. Should I inform the Emperor of your victory here?" The dog asked. Mortread hesitated. It was Marsade who answered.

"No. I want to question them first. Starting with the Male." He said.

"**_Why the Male?"_**

"I have plans for the female… I require her body undamaged. The same cannot be said for the male. I can afford to be more… ruthless." He said. Mortread nodded, fairly sure he didn't wish for more detail.

_**"…Very well…"** _He said.

* * *

**AN:**

**Wow. That was big.  
Allow me to help recap some of that briefly.**

**It opens with Almasi's reflection of the lifestyles of Lions.**

**Sometimes they seem so like humans and in others, their culture is so alien. The idea that fathers do not owe any duty to their own children is of course, completely false when applied to humans. Yet, in a culture dominated by nomadic males and Pridebound females, the situation Almasi describes – of monogamous, consensual, but not always permanent, relationships, is not uncommon.**

**A male lion who wishes to known and love his cubs must either form a Pride (Yes – a single nuclear family counts as a Pride), or else submit to the authority of an another male lion's kingdom – and this is sometimes seen as weak, even by **

**By contrast, a female alone can join Large Prides and take their shelter and protection. A choice between moving on, submitting to the will of another and the scorn of his contemporises, or forming a new Pride – and accepting all the dangers with it –means having a family and assisting a lioness who desires cubs, with… ahem… procreation… are two very separate and different things. It's a quirk of their world which isn't present in ours.**

**And like in our world, such cultural trends are not necessarily right or wrong. They are just are.**

**This chapter also progressed a lot. Originally, the conversation was between Sara and Danyal and there would have been a resolution to this little love problem. As it is, it didn't quite work with Sara and I substituted her for Almasi at the last moment. As a result there is no resolution to Sara's confused feelings. I should point out ****_I _****know why she is acting in the way that she is…. And you'll find out. Either in this book – or at the Latest the FIRST chapter of the final book. :D**

Then off course, we had the panther's arrival, and Danyal's plan. This has some awkward connotations. Yes. Danyal did cover himself in mud mixed lion shit to mask his own scent. Yes, the others did bathe in this same substance.

**Hey, we always knew he'd do anything for his Pride right?**

**The battle goes well. Harrin and some of his dogs have been captured. However, Mortread managed to escape. **

**While Vitani and Danyal defied their elders and succeeded in breaking open the gateway, neither Sundar, Rafiki or Vitani could have predicted that Marsade would use his power to reach through the gateway and capture the two young lions.  
The trap was intended for Yessen or Rafiki… But Danyal knows plenty of information… And with Danyal supposedly "Kiava" this could have devastating effects on the rebels.**

**As for the fight… I idea was fantastic once I had it, and was a great example of Danyal's tactical mind.**

**Sundar as well got to show off here, and it's important to note that Vitani was mistaken. Sundar was perfectly capable of succeeded. They just didn't account for Marsade interfering from the other side of the Gateway. The same fate would have befallen Yessen or Rafiki if they had tried first.**

**We'll get back to this situation soon… But first? I think we need to look in on our heir to the throne…. **


	16. Chapter 15 - Kiava's Legacy

**"Hello there! This chapter took a long time to get done, because of the summer holidays. I hope you're all enjoying yours? Anyway, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Also, Check out the new covers? I made them myself.**

**This chapter should be of a more reasonable length though... Given the monstrosities of prior chapters. Do you prefer this format, or the longer length chapters?**

**First though, here are the responses:**

**Almondbutter: **

Thank you!

**LoveNeverDies: **That's certainly his plan… The Ligers are very usefull, their natural immunity ot sorcery make them perfect weapons to use against the Shaman. On the other hand… Sundar *IS* a Shaman… or at least, has the powers of one… So that should be interesting…

And…

You're thinking about the origins of the Shaman's gifts? Good. Good… You should. It's very important to the story and no one is thinking about it yet. So that's great news. You're on the right track… but not quite right. It would certainly be interesting if Marsade had been responsible… Why though?

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Indeed, Danyal is in grave danger. Sundar as well… It's true that Marsade plans to make use of the Ligers, but Mortread isn't fully aware of the ligers or the depths of his depravity in that regard. He doesn't ask though. He still has Asamode's threats to deal with, and the knowledge that if he fails again, the emperor will not be as forgiving. The Emperor is of course insane, and isn't used to being denied this long. As more and more time passes his anger and rage will grow. As for Vitani's plan… Who's to say? Certainly, Danyal's plan of camouflage was something new, and something she hadn't thought off. If they'd attempted to fight in that situation without it, they'd have suffered more serious losses… and we can't know for sure if Vitani's wouldn't have paid off. Ultimately, Danyal gambled, and it paid off. Vitani didn't want to risk it. Danyal is less cautious, and more prone to take risks – as he has now. And as you've seen, it's had mixed results.

**Author: **Hmm. Yes. They'll be questioned and tortured for information. All of that is coming up in the next chapter actually… It's pretty dark. You'll see though. As for Sundar's recklessness, she was angry more than reckless. She *has* managed to open a gateway before, and her powers have grown since then. It wasn't an unreasonable deduction that she could do what she thought she could – ideed, if Marsade hadn't been expecting it, it would have worked… As it happened… it backfired… but not due to her own recklessness… I am trying not to have stupid characters. Each action the characters take, even foolish actions, are sometime the best actions they could reasonably take given the information available to them. I can't abide when characters do idiotic things just for the sake of plot, so I try to make sure that events flow logically and naturally.

As for the dogs… You'll have to wait and see. Certainly, Vitani isn't planning on being gentle with them…

**Shadow: **

Thank you! I like to think the cultures of the independent species are well developed… Hyenas Wilddogs, Lions, Asaitics, and the Imperium are very different in their values and social interaction, just as humanity is. I think that diversity makes it interesting…

As for Ben-Kai-Ra's reaction… Well… There is still Mortread's to deal with first.

**Chapter 15: Kiava's Legacy **

Across the shadowlands, a noise could be heard.

The noise was disturbing, for a pawfull of reasons, but chiefly among them, was the singular fact, that no one – at least no one who heard it, would willingly admit the source, even to each other.

Everyone knew of course.

The hyenas, who patrolled and surveyed the grounds surrounding the den and the valley of Skeleton Canyon, knew. The vultures that flew through the air, waiting impatiently for the hyenas to depart, so that they could gorge themselves on the grisly remains of the battle, knew.

Any retreating wilddogs or serpents who heard the sound would immediately guess the cause with dreadful accuracy.

Zuri knew it as well.

The young lioness now climbed across the rocky entrance to the den, barley paying attention to the placing of her feet, though a slip or slide could lead to a painful injury on the treacherous terrain. That was the point of course, it was highly defensible. Its jagged floor, razor sharp wall and awkwardly angled steps and ramps made a solid charge impossible and they protected the den's deepest most precious resource.

She pushed her way past the four hyena guards, each standing with their backs to the cave, resolutely ignoring the sounds that emanated from within. There was nothing they could do about that of course. The loud cries and screams of agony could be heard for what felt like miles. It was terrible to listen to, and Zuri's face was pale by the time she had reached the innermost sanctum of the cave. On a raised dais, there was a dark pool of murky water, and lying next to it, writhing and occasionally gasping aloud in bursts of pain, lay the source of the unsettling noise.

King Kiava, of the Pridelands, lay there dying.

The young cub's eyes were screwed tightly shut, trying to keep the mounting pain building beneath his skin. Each time, he would do all he could to remain silent, and each time, it would swell and rise, like the steady rising of the ocean within him. Beneath his skin, through his veins and arteries, the steady throb would gain, building, burning, blistering and blasting into an inferno, a tempest of agony. Without fail each time, it would peak and all sense of self would leave him. Consciousness would fly away and reason abandon into an incompressible cry of all consuming pain.

Mamba venom was like that. The poison ripped its way through the young cub's body, tearing through his muscles, his organs, his chest with every beat of his heart, and with each beat of his fading pulse, agony shot through him.

Shenzi's face looked ashen as she oversaw a pair of hyenas do what they could for the young prince. The water of the pool was murky but it was cold, it was hoped it could be used to dull the burning fever of the serpent's venom. Perhaps it helped. Perhaps it did not. But Shenzi couldn't stand to do nothing as the life was sucked from both their newest ally, and one of their greatest fighters.

Kiava's breathing was heavy and ragged. Was the poison attacking his lungs as well? They had no idea. Mamba venom usually killed very quickly, and only a shaman would know precisely what the individual poisons and venoms did that made them deadly... And Asante was no healer. She was a War-Shaman. She unleashed her power to kill, and to control the battlefield…

That hadn't stopped her from trying. As soon as the injured had been taken into the den, Asante was there, At Bhagari and then Kiava's side, trying to use her gift… But she had no training or instinct. She was flailing with no clue as to what she was doing, and while Kiava and Bhagari had regained conscious briefly, it had done little more than prolong their suffering.

Zuri swallowed as she looked at Kiava.

"How is he?" She asked her. Shenzi glanced at Zuri, a guilty expression on her face.

"He's fading fast…" She said. Zuri extended a paw, and closed it around Kiava's.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't right.

Kiava deserved better than this. He deserved better than to die because of a snakes trick. The bite had done its work though, and there was little she could do other than watch as its power sucked the life from Kiava. That wasn't the worse of it though.

_Come on Kiava… You have to make it through this… _She thought.

Perhaps… Perhaps he could fight it off? It wasn't unheard of. Not all snake bites were fatal after all, and Kiava was strong. He was a fighter. He had defeated a Shai'tan! He wouldn't be beaten by such a thing, would he?

But this wasn't any old snake bite. It was a mamba – one of the most feared and dangerous serpents to crawl the earth. Even Hissis, the red viper from Shenzi's path wouldn't have engaged one willingly. They were rare in the Pridelands, but more common in the Shadowlands, where grim creatures spawned and multiplied, and slightly more so in the heat of the Shadowlands. Even so, it was a miracle Abyss had managed to gather as many as he had, and it was a small blessing to those of them who survived that the decimation that had suffered at the paws of the hyenas would set back the mamba populations for generations.

None of this was any comfort to Zuri though. Something wet fell from her face and jerked Zuri to reality. She clapped a paw to her face, and hurriedly wiped away the tears she could feel forming. Shenzi turned away, but she had seen them.

"How is… How is Bhagari?" She asked, knowing she should at least show concern for the other injured one, though she could barely form the words. Her throat felt swollen, as if something was caught in her throat. Shenzi shook her head.

"He's no better than Kiava… He's unconscious most of the time now… It seems… Like it's only a matter of time, for the both of them." She said. Zuri snarled.

"Don't talk like that! Kiava will pull through." She said, though there was no weight to her words. Shenzi nodded, uncharacteristically calm.

"…Of course, Zuri…" She looked around, the other hyenas now finished with their work.

"Perhaps… I should leave… and let you two have some privacy…" She said. Zuri nodded silently, and the hyena left them.

The cave was in the light of the previous day had seemed full of life, now appeared dark and dismal to them. For a while she said nothing, as Kiava's breathing slowed, and became tired gasps. The pain was easing now, bringing him some relief, she knew. Soon enough though, it would build again, as powerful as ever, and once more all reason and sense would leave Kiava. It was hopeless. Kiava shook now, as the pain wracked his body, but he was silent for the time being. He only screamed when the pain became unbearable.

Lying down next to him, she pushed herself close and took his paw. His grip was slack and fell from her hold, so she gripped it tightly. Forcing down her fear, and slowing her breathing, she leaned in close to him.

"Hey there Kiava…" She whispered to him, her voice becoming calmer. "I'm here."

He made a sound, which might have been an acknowledgment, or it might have been a grunt of pain… She didn't know. She didn't even know if he was conscious – or even if he was, whether he was lucid enough for any of her words to be anything other than noise to him.

"Ookai and Bruce say hi… They'd come themselves, but Bruce doesn't fit in the cave… and Ookai is with Timon… Timon knows a lot about poisons, they're trying to find something to help you." She said. "Banzai is keeping control on the Hyenas… everyone is worried for you. Funny isn't it? Who'd have thought a few weeks ago they'd be a horde of hyenas hoping that a lion king would _live? _" She said. She looked down at friend. He was deathly pale, a raging fever burning through him, and the venom of a black mamba running through his blood. And he _lived_. How did he do it?

After everything that had happened, he still survived.

"You'll pull through this, Kiava… I know you will… We've come this far, right? The two of us? Ookai and Bruce, Timon and Shenzi… they've joined us along the way, but we've been together since the beginning… I and I _know, I just know, _that you'll make it through this…" She said.

Kiava didn't move.

"I know… I know that mamba venom is deadly…" She said, struggling to force the words out. "But… We've already done so much that's impossible. We survived the fall of Pride Rock… We fought the Shai'tan, we survived the desert, and the wilds and the jungle that came after. We made it through the corrupted remains of Valon's Brook. We found Sarafina together, don't forget… We stuck together there, and came out stronger! We met Ookai and Bruce and Timon and Asante and Shenzi and all the others... We beat the wilddogs and the serpents… We beat Amun! We beat Abyss! We're turning the tide against the Shait'an… So I know, Kiava… _I know… That you can't… you can't… be dying. Not really… not now… Not here. Not when we've come this far… not when we've made it here… you wouldn't leave me now… Not you… Not _my _Prince Kiava…__" _ She was rambling and she was crying and her tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"Wake up Kiava… Please… You can't leave me now… I need you. The whole land needs you… So please, you stubborn idiot, please, I _need _you to wake up…" Kiava still didn't answer.

She knew then. She knew that she was watching her friend die. Then, the tears came. They came fast and hot running down her face.

Then, with her laying there, Kiava gasped, and his eyes burst open. His emerald green eyes were dyed a deep red as tiny blood vessels burst around them, as if he'd been starved of breath.

"Kiava!" Zuri gasped as his eyes found her.

"…Zu… Zuri…" He managed to gasp, his voice hoarse as he struggled to swallow. He was aware of the pain now, but the worst of it had subsided. Zuri managed to tear his gaze away from her friend long enough to cry for help, and Shenzi and Asante rushed into the den.

"Kaiva! Stay still! You've been-"

"Poisoned." He said flatly. The pain was enormous he noticed, but he know it was at a low point. Soon enough, it would rise again, driving all thought and reason from him. "I know… I need… to do this…" He said, as Zuri tried to wipe away her tears.

"Kiava… You need… you need to hold on, okay? Timon and Bruce and Ookai are out there now and looking for a cure…" Or rather trying to find some trace of anyone who might know of one. As far as they were aware, mamba venom was fatal. But like Shenzi, none could ever bring themselves to sit about and do nothing.

"Zuri… They shouldn't waste time…" He grunted through the agony. Zuri stared at him.

"What are you talking about?! You can't… you can't just give up now!" She said.

"Zuri…"

"No! Please, _Kiava_… You can't!"

"I… I am sorry Zuri… I am so, so, sorry…" He said softly. He reached out and gripped her paw tightly. "You… are my best friend, Zuri… I am just glad you are safe… Back there for a moment… I thought one of the snakes had you…" He said, remembering how the deadly serpent's subterfuge had nearly cost them the battle. Hiding the most hateful of them amongst their own dead, only to strike when the attack was least expected. It had been suicidal for them, but devastating for the hyenas.

"You came for me… I thought we were going to be overrun but you came for me and sent the serpents fleeing. You led a charge and fought Abyss by yourself…" She said. Kiava grunted.

"It was very stupid… But I couldn't just stand there and do nothing…" He said. Zuri smiled and Kiava looked up at her. "You… were amazing out there today, Zuri… You always have been, but… that was something special… You fought three mambas at the same time… You were amazing. Absolutely amazing... Thank you for… everything." He said, struggling to find the words. Zuri slammed her paw into the ground.

"No Kiava! Don't you dare say goodbye! Not like this! Not after everything we've done…" She said. Kiava smiled softly.

"Shenzi!" He called, and the hyena approached.

"Kiava… I mean… your majesty…"

"Shenzi… I need you… and Asante… to witness something… She's a Shaman… It should be enough for the law to apply…"

"Enough for what?" Shenzi asked in confusion. Kiava turned to Zuri.

"Zuri… I need you to do something for me… And it's going to take a lot from you and I am sorry. I never meant for it to happen like this… but I don't have any choice anymore..."

"What…"

"We'd need gourds if we were doing this properly... Still we can improvise… Shenzi, help me stand up… Zuri, I need… you to kneel down for a moment…" He said. Shenzi, looking perplexed help Kiava to his feet, as Kiava stood over Zuri, who – at his urging – bowed her head.

_Right… How does it go? _Kiava thought for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"Let the Pride be my witness… I, Kiava, Son of Kovu who was the Son of Scar, and Son of Kiara who was the daughter of Kiara, King of the Pridelands and all the light touched earth, Flame of Pride Rock, do… -" He paused to cough, and retched as he tasted his own blood in his throat. "-Under the Light of the Great Kings, do… do declare before witnesses… That…agh…"

He doubled over in pain briefly for a moment.

"Kiava, we can do this later if you need - …"

"No. This is important. It needs to be done. The Pridelands need a King… and a King needs an Heir." He said. Zuri stepped back, realising what he was saying. And tried to climb to her feet.

"But… But I can't-"

"You can. I'm too young to have cubs – and I don't know for certain of any living relatives."

"But Vitani-"

"Might be fine. But she also might be dead and I can't make her my heir if she isn't here… I need _you_ Zuri, it has to be you… You are the only one I can rely on for this… Please." He said. Zuri was stunned. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't find the words.

"As I said… We should really have gourds. But these are the shadowlands. Blood and ashes are all we have…" And with that, he bit down savagely into his own forepaw, hard, and then squeezed his paw tightly shut. Fresh blood, bright crimson and shining, flowed up. Zuri's protests died in her throat.

"Do declare before witnesses that Zuri, Daughter of Damu, is my Heir... The Crown, Throne and Kingdom of the Pridelands shall pass to her… and her descendants… For so long as the stars shine in the heavens. This vow I make, with the life of the land…" and he bent forward, and swiped his bleeding paw over her forehead. It left a red streak on her head. "And the earth of the kingdom" he picked up a small pinch of dust and let it fall onto the red mark.

Blood and ashes. Not the gourd juice and fertile soil used to anoint the Kings of the Past, but ash and blood. A crown for a kingdom at war. Shenzi watched the ceremony. She couldn't recall ever witnessing it before. It was usually held in secret, in the den of the Pridelands, before the child was presented to the Kingdom. Few other than the new heir's parents, the ruling king, and a Shaman were present, and Shenzi was aware she had just witnessed something both wonderful and terrible. Zuri, who remained on her knees, was looking up at Kiava, with tears running down her face.

"Please Kiava… We're going to do something… We're going to find a way… I promise you..."

"Don't, Zuri. Don't make promises you can't keep…"

"Kiava… Please…" She was in tears now. Kiava grunted as the pain became too much.

"Zuri, I… I just want to say… Oh… I guess it doesn't matter now…" He said.

Then, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. Rolling onto his side, he let out a low moan, and looked down at the bite wounds on his chest. There were black veins around the wound, where the skin was raised, and he knew that if he pushed back the fur, he would see the skin tinged a sickly greenish yellow. The pain was building now, climbing on its way to its familiar peak with every beat of his slowing heart. He moaned again, and his head rolled back. The venom made it difficult to think, but he still gripped Zuri's paw.

Shenzi watched the ceremony in stunned silence. Then she turned away. Asante watched the two for a moment, and then turned away as well, and left the cave quickly, and without looking back, pushed her way through the tunnels, forcing herself to appear calm. She didn't feel it. She was scared. Frightened. Kiava was fading fast, and then what? Nothing could be done. There was nothing she could do. They needed a Shaman and she was less than useless to them. She made her way into another of the caves, past two more hyena guards, soldiers from her shadowpups. They didn't look at her as she passed them.

Inside, lying alone, lay Bhagari. He was sitting against a rock, and, unlike Kiava was conscious. His eyes lit up as Asante entered.

"Don't try and move…" Asante said quietly.

"Heh… No danger of that…" Bhagari said. "How... How is the king?" He asked her. Shenzi grimaced.

"He's younger than you… And the snake bit him in a major artery at the top of his forearm… not far from his heart. He's younger than you… and he is fading fast… He just made Zuri his heir. When he dies, she'll inherit the throne…"

"Can he do that?"

"He's the king, for now. He can do whatever he wants. Timon and Ookai are trying to find something… but there is nothing to find. No one's ever survived a dose of mamba venom and you… you and Kiava… both took more than enough to…-" She trailed off. "Aren't you in pain? Kiava could barely keep it together…" She said. Bhagari grunted.

"It comes and goes… He took a larger dose than I did, and he's smaller than me… it spread quicker… I can still speak…"

Asante stared at Bhagari for a moment, determined not to let herself betray her emotions. She had seen Zuri weeping over her friend, and she had no desire to make a similar scene. Not in front of her shadowpups… not for Bhagari…"

"Bhagari… I am so sorry. I should have done something… I should have moved quicker…"

"You moved as fast as you could and you did what you could. You never asked any more than that of me, and I wouldn't have expected you to do any more for me."

"It should have been me." Asante said quitly. Bhagari stared at her.

"What?" He asked.

"It should have been the one… We saw Kiava in danger and I should have been the one to act – or better yet, used my gift… I could have blasted that worm into atoms!" She said. Bhagari shook his head.

"You can't blame yourself, Asante… I was the fool… You said so yourself…"

"I didn't mean any of that!" Asante said quickly. Bhagari smiled.

"I know…" He looked at her, as his breath became shallower.

"Asante… I want to know something… Your Shamanism… Could you… could you use it to heal us? Heal me? What would it take?" He asked her. Asante said nothing, silent. Then she spoke.

"I don't know. I've never used it to heal anyone."

"But… We saw Rafiki use his gifts… Everyone knows that eh Shaman are great healers…"

"I am not. I… I never tried. When I first discovered them I moved things. I created winds and storms, blasts of force and bolts of lightning… I used it to break things apart… I never… I never bothered to see if I could use it for something else… I should have done, I know, but I was impatient and the Shai'tan were on our doorstep, and I wanted to hurt them, and I wanted to fight, and I didn't want to leave the Shadowpups and I just… I just… I am sorry, Bhagari… I can't… I've already tried… Even if I could… I think… I think after a battle… I don't know. I don't know if I would have the strength."

"Asante…"

"I've tried! I think… I think I can move energy around… I can make you stronger… I can keep you alive a little longer – that's what I've been doing! I've been doing all I can! But I can't stop the venom… I can't repair the damage that is already done… I can't stop of the pain… I don't have unlimited energy, Bhgari, I can't heal you… just… keep you going… until… until the poison kills us both…"

"So your gifts… They can…"

"They can give you a few hours… and keep you alive... but…"

"I see… So you can use your own life-force… to keep me alive long enough to watch as the venom tears its way through my insides... leave me alive so that my organs can turn to slime whilst I watch…" He said slowly. It would be agonising. Perhaps all she had done was draw out their suffering. She felt like a monster. Asante looked up at him, her eyes wet.

"Maybe… Maybe if I _knew_ what the venom was _doing… _Maybe If I could tell what was happening...? But I don't know what it _should _look like… I can't fix you… I can't heal you… Bhagari… I am so sorry…"

"So… That's it then… I just need to wait for the poison to finish me… That could take hours… Or even days…" He said it without emotion.

"I've failed you…"

"Don't say that…"

"You've never ever let me down… I am supposed to be matriarch one day! I am supposed to _lead _and I can't save the one hyena who is dearest to me, how can I ever hope to save our clan? If Kiava dies, then our alliance with the Lion Kings is finished… We'll never convince Vitani of our intentions, not the daughter of Zira… The Shai'tan will return in larger numbers… and they'll kill us all for our defiance… And without our aide, the lions and the others who resist the Shai'tan will be outnumbered and killed…_The Pridelands will burn again… and everything we love will come to ruin…" _She said. Bhagari shook his head.

"No… No, Asante… No. You can't give up hope now. You are the strongest of us… And one day you'll be the greatest Matriarch this clan has ever seen… You'll climb to heights greater than any lion king, and the whole world will know of your name… Because they'll know that you didn't give up."

"Bhagari…"

"I believe in you, Asante… I've always believed in you. I've served under you and fought beside you. I honour your parents and I trust that you and your family will do right by us."

"Bhagari… please… I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologise… Ever… I… Asante… If I am going to die… I just want to say that… that I wouldn't have changed my life… Even among the darkness, and the violence and the blood, I never felt more _alive _than when I was fighting alongside you. I never tasted sweeter prey than when I was hunting with you… And… I never so much looked at another female… I'd have been happy with ten years of fighting the Shai'tan, so long as we fought them together… Okay? Do you understand that?"

"If I'd been smarter… If I'd learnt to use my powers instead of squandering it on cheap combat tricks… If I had been quicker…"

"Who knows? Maybe nothing would have changed… Or maybe you'd have been the one who was bitten instead…"

"I wish I had."

"Don't you dare…!"

"You should hate me for this…"

"Hate you? How could I hate you? How could I ever hate you? I don't care that I am going to die… I don't care that you can't save me… Because I am going to spend the rest of my life – short though it is – completely happy, because the person I wanted to protect most of all is safe. When… When I pass on… If there is anything out there… I can go to it, knowing that I have _no _regrets. Too many die with regrets… Things they didn't say, or didn't do. Choices they'd rather undo… But I don't… I'll die, happy…"

"Bhgari…"

"I could have led a pitiful existence, fighting over rocks, or bleeding for scraps… But I got to fight for something I believed in… Something I still believe in… And I got to do it alongside the hyena whom I loved…"

"Bhagari… Please… Don't…"

"I love you, Asante… I've always loved you… I could never hate you. I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Always." She said. Asante nuzzled Bhagari. She grunted, when she saw she'd failed. She was crying… and her tears were flowing warm and fast. She cursed, and Bhagari smiled.

"I see those…" He said, as she tried to wipe them away. A Matriarch didn't cry. A pack-leader didn't blubber. But she didn't feel like leading today. It was pointless to hide them from the one hyena who knew her best.

"Just don't tell the others. It's a secret." She said. He smiled, a last joke on his lips.

"I'll take it to the grave." He said.

Back in the other cave, Kiava gave a stifled cry of pain, glancing at Zuri, as if guilty for crying aloud in front of her. Zuri shook her head.

"Kiava… What can I _do? _How do I _help you?"_. Kiava had no answer.

"Stay… Stay with me. Zuri. You've been there… since the beginning… Don't go in the end… For me?"

"Anything for you. I wouldn't leave you alone." She said. Kiava smiled. "Thank you…" He managed to gasp. He could feel unconsciousness creeping up on him again now. The Pain was building, always building and it was worse this time. It would fade again - perhaps in a few hours… Then he would be lucid again… And then the pain would return. An ongoing cycle until eventually his body would take no more. It was tempting… tempting to just fade. To let oblivion take him. It was inevitable. It would I'll him eventually. Why suffer more? Why protract his death? Just let it end? What was the point in staying?

_Please Kiava…_

No.

He wasn't so selfish.

Zuri.

Zuri was worth staying alive for, even if only for a few more hours, a few more days. She was worth every few extra minutes of existence he could squeeze out of his life, he knew that.

There was little point in asking really. Zuri was worth staying for. After all, she had stayed for him, right? From Pride Rock, to now, she had stayed there with him, no matter the cost. He wasn't going to leave her now. So he swallowed his screams, he bit down upon his pain, and he writhed there, as the pain mounted into a tempest beneath his skin once more.

**AN:**

**Wow.**

**That was dark.  
I didn't want to make that too dark, but I felt like this scene needed to be shown.**

**Don't get too comfortable though. Coming up soon, is a rather… dark… chapter… That will feature Danyal and Sundar being questioned by Mortread and Marsade. A magic heavy chapter.**

**Also, check out those new Cover artworks? These, I made by myself, out of a desire to have uniform Covers for all the books. (I've also designed about another half-dozen for any and all future works. Hopefully, they'll display properly. They aren't always showing though. It's very odd. Hopefully, after a few days it will settle down and display appropriately.**

**For a full screen look, just use the link below, and ..**

** art/Title-Storm-545920147**

**Anyway, what was the verdict on this chapter? I am aware of how macabre it was – and perhaps that was not to everyone's taste. If it wasn't, that's fine. We'll be getting to something juicier in terms of action soon. Still, I'd be flattered to hear what you thought of this? Did it sadden you at all? My beta reader was pretty upset with me for ruining his evening…**

**What did you guys think?**

**Any thoughts?**

How do you think the relationship feels between Bhagari and Asante? It wasn't a romance I particularly pushed, but I felt het chemistry was there, and there was clearly an attraction. At least to me. . Did it take you by surprise?

What about Zuri and Kiava, and their relationship?

**And finally… Does anyone have any questions? Preferably about things that have already happened, or happening at the same time, rather than future events that might spoil the story, or perhaps some questions about the writing process itself, and discarded ideas? I don't know… I feel like there should be more to say in these Authors Notes other than I hope you like this…**

So…

Enjoy everyone. Hope that didn't ruin your evening.


	17. Chapter 16 - Marsade's Wrath

**"Hello everyone. Prepare for an unsettling chapter. This might make a few people uncomfortable. However, it's a very long chapter… So take notes if you plan on reviewing!**

**It's been a busy week and there might be a slight delay in the next chapter – but hopefully you'll get an update within the fortnight. Also, this new pattern (Of very long chapters and slightly longer waiting periods) seems to be producing huge sections, but seems to be working.**

**First though, here are the responses to the reviews. I'd just like to thank everyone who made one and also remind everyone that if you are catching up weeks after the initial publishing of the chapter, I still receive each and every one of them:**

**Also, some interesting Reviews last time, so the AN is very long – over 2000 words in itself. However, it's interesting.**

* * *

**LoveNeverDies: **I know! Sad wasn't it? I worried I'd overdone it and made it too depressing to be enjoyed, but the response so far has been very positive, so I did something right I guess. I liked the moment between Asante and Bhagari was one of the more natural romance parts of the story so far.

Also, I wouldn't depend on Divine intervention to save the day if I were you. Stay tuned to see Kiava's fate.

**Almondbutter: **An astute observation. This isn't a fairy tale. I wouldn't expect happy endings or plot armour, or anything of the sort. The story is in the journey, not the destination. Perhaps Kiava can be rescued. Or perhaps, this is where his story ends. Only time will tell. I am glad to hear you'll keep reading though. I read a fic by a fellow author and he killed off one of the most beloved main characters part way through the third book. It enraged the fanbase.

**Morgayne: **A new face? Hello there! Hope to see more from you. Welcome. And yes, this was an emotional chapter. But hopefully we'll see similar from this chapter…

**Author: **It was rather dark… Although this one is slightly darker in my opinion. The previous chapter was emotional, but it was revolving around the characters love for each other and their deep desire to help each other. This one… swings in reverse and revolves around the characters desire to hurt each other. It's darker, for this reason.

Actually, there is a discussion coming up soon. Asante is going to realise that with as many Hyenas as they have, it won't be possible for all of them to inhabit the Pridelands without overhunting once again. This is going to make things a little awkward. But you'll see.

As for Star Wars…

Ah.

Okay. You've opened a Can of worms here.

* * *

**[Skip this bit if not interested in Star Wars]**

I have certainly seen Star Wars. I should mention at this point, that the "Imperial Vs Rebel" terminology is_purely _coincidental. The full name of the empire in this case is "The Shai'tan Imperium" as opposed to "The Asiatic Imperium" which is supplanted. I became somewhat… Agitated when I realised how close Mortread comes to asking "Where is the Rebel Base?" It made me intensely uncomfortable, since I put lots of effort in to each of the Shai'tan and the culture and ideology of the Imperium… And I want to avoid looking like a Star Wars knock off. However. As for Star Wars.

Yes.

I am a large fan of it, both the movies and the Expanded Universe it probably influenced my work – although there are hundreds of Villains who are "Emperor" or "Imperial". My favourite is the Emperor Dalek and the Imperial Dalek Faction from classic Doctor Who. In fact, at one point, the Emperor was planned to have delusions of divinity, in a vein similar to the New Dalek Emperor rom 2005. If you've not seen it, check it out on YouTube and imagine the Imperium. It could have gone very differently. Instead I focused more of the Imperium's love of Strength and passion. Following their hearts and lusts, greed's and desires. Very much like the Sith, although the Sith are something of a pantomime, bland villain when you think about it – at least in the movies. I mean, they _acknowledge _the *Dark* Side. Most good villains don't see themselves as evil. That's why dictators and politicians are so much more frightening then vampires and werewolves.

So yes (Ignoring this essay) I have seen and enjoy Star Wars and I am sure if you look hard enough, you might see some parallels between Ben-Kai-Ra and the emperor and his climb to power (which could be a story all in itself) although, in fairness to my own sense of originality, that can apply to pretty much every villain.

However, for asking you get an Easter Egg: (Bane, the Wilddog and Wraith, was named for Darth Bane, creator of the Rule of Two and denomination of the Sith Order which produced Sidious.

Although, I think Ben-Kai-Ra would hate Sidious and his techniques. I think he would much prefer Darth Krayt, Sidious' successor, who would later be crowned Sith Emperor with a similar plot to Ben-Kai-Ra's (Exploiting the inner weakness and division between supposed allies to destroy them from within) although Krayt was widely considered a heretic by the followers of Rule of Two. Well… I say like. They'd respect each other. And then try to arrange each other's death.

However, if you want to discuss any further parallels (intentional and otherwise) I suggest doing so in a PM. If you created an account we could do so.

**{End of Skip}**

* * *

**Shadow: **I am _so _glad that you liked the covers. The format is in place for any future series I do. I was inspired by the new released of Neil Gaiman's novels and their covers. Any future series will have this same format, despite not necessarily being set in the same universe. The cover for the fifth book is already finished and is the best in my opinion.

I worried I was going overboard with Kiava's poisoning, but I felt it was necessary to truly understand what was happening. Kiava isn't dying in battle. He is dying slowly, in the most painful and humiliating way possible.

Zuri has developed in an odd way. Initially, she was the diplomat of the group. Always trying to keep Inti and Kiava's playful banter from getting out of hand and also acting as peacekeeper between Sara and Inti and – not often, but occasionally – Sara and Kiava. Now, she's been forced to take a much more aggressive role and whether it's just how Kiava sees her or not, she has proven herself to be one the pride's greatest warriors. In contrast, Sara was originally forced to become a fighter, in Golgorath and now is adapting to take a more managerial, diplomatic role, in ensuring peaceful cooperation between the rebels and the Asaitics. It's a pretty subtle thing. Her hiding her tears is very much a part of that and it's a trait she shares with Asante. Part of the tragedy is that Bhagari and Asante get a "What might have been" love story. No one will ever quite be sure if it had worked out, because they didn't get the chance to see.

Kiaava's relationship with Zuri is still very much friendship – they are too young for a romance of that kind – but Kiava is growing and like Sara, is being forced to grow up quickly. He is attaching himself to Zuri and is very dependent on her, just as she is on him. It could easily blossom into a romance at this point.

Whether by Inheritance, or by an eventual romance with Kiava, she'll certainly make a very good ruler.

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Correct. Things are going bad. Only Bhagari's age is keeping him as strong as he is. Were he Kiava's age, he'd be just as weak and in as much pain. Kiava is further gone at this point, though Bhagari will follow him soon enough, since they both took lethal doses of mamba venom. I am no herpetologist and I am taking a creative licence with the time and type of death caused by mamba poisoning.

(Originally, I planned it to be Abyss's venom. He was planned to be a Boa, with Mamba and viper like qualities, as the result of Marsade's genetic experiments. You can see traces of that in Abyss's unusual striking speed and for a boa and his teeth and in the fact that Asante has little to no power over it with her Shamanism, since it was intended to be magically immune, like all hybrids. However, I preferred the surprise element, so in the end, a near-dead mamba was chosen. I think this worked better and its adds something to Asante's character that, without a Shaman to train her, she simply used her gifts to kill things faster, rather than heal, a choice she is regretting.)

Kiava is very stubborn. But I think it says something about his character that the fact that's keeping here alive, even in all the pain he feels, is that he knows that if he dies, Zuri's pain will be even worse and he really, really doesn't want to hurt her.

**Now, without further ado, lets begin the chapter. See you later people.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Marsade's Wrath**

* * *

Danyal grunted as Mortread struck at him again. The blow caught him in the face and although the tiger's claws were sheathed, the force of the blow jerked his head back, sending his mind reeling. He crashed to the ground once more, landing in the dust awkwardly. The tiger moved over to him, his form towering over him.

"You are beginning to try my patience…" Mortread growled. Danyal coughed and pulled away, slowly crawling to his feet, his head spinning.

"Well… silver linings and all that I guess…" Danyal said. Mortread scowled and struck out again and Danyal tried to block the blow, Mortread feinted to the left and slammed into the young lion with his shoulder, catching him in the chest and causing him to bite back a shout. As he stumbled backward, Mortread followed up with a two more sharp strikes and pummeled a spot below his forearm. The spot was covered in twisted scar tissue from where months before Sekmet had driven her claws deep into his flesh.

Months later, the wound was healed, but the area was still tender and vulnerable and the blunt jab sent spasms of pain through him and Danyal fell to the ground again.

"Who else is leading the rebels? I recognized Vitani and Lukaan, from Asiatica. Who _else." _He asked. Danyal said nothing. Mortread stamped down hard on the lion's exposed belly, driving the air from his lungs and painfully winding him. He gave a pained cry and Mortread stepped backwards. There was a cold detachment to his work. He took no sadistic pleasure or thrill in his work, only expressing the occasional burst of anger that Danyal continued to resist him. Danyal didn't get up this time, he lay there on his back, his stomach rising and falling with ragged breathing, writhing in pain. He let out a groan and Mortread cursed again.

"Where will the rebels go from there? They won't stay among those plains, the dens must be nearby. Where are they?" He asked. Danyal groaned but didn't say a word. Mortread slammed his paw into the ground next to Danyal's head, but the lion didn't flinch. Mortread growled.

"How many rebels are there in total?" He tried a different tact. Danyal turned away and didn't look at him. "One would almost thing you Pridelanders _enjoyed _receiving pain…" He observed. Danyal coughed.

"One would almost you Imperials _enjoyed _inflicting it… Oh… Wait a moment. You do." He countered. Mortread growled.

"Why do you continue to resist us!? Not just here, but all over the Pridelands! Your eventual defeat is inevitable, you achieve nothing with your resistance other than prolonging the fighting! You win nothing but the protraction of your own suffering and while you do it, you drag the Pridelands into turmoil with you by this childish ignorance of reality! Why do you still _fight_ us when it only brings you pain!?" He shouted in anger. Danyal turned to look at him.

"You couldn't ever understand… You've not fought for something you believed in your entire life… You've never cared for something other than yourself… How could you understand what it means to fight for what is _right_ when all you fight for is power?" He asked coldly.

"Don't pretend to know why I fight!"

"I know why you fight. Power. Domination. You people are insane. You bring death and destruction wherever you go?"

"You haven't seen the Imperium in Asiatica! In Oceanica! There the power of Imperium tames the wild frontiers of this world! It brings order and peace to pure wild chaos! Law and civil-"

"Please! The Imperium in Asiatica? I've spoken to Lukaan and Sundar… I know what the Imperium did! I know what your order and peace means to those who resisted you! Malaki wasn't a part of your peace! Sundar's mother wasn't offered your _civilization!_"

"You act as though the Emperor wasn't _entitled _to rule Asiatica! He was the Emperor by right! The son of Shan-Yi, part of an unbroken line since Shan-Al-Kir! _They_ were the ones who rebelled against their rightful ruler! The Asiatic lion Prides were traitors! Traitors and rebels, long before the Emperor took action against them! They are no better than your own Outlanders!" Mortread said, scowling.

"They weren't the ones who executed whole Prides."

Mortread laughed.

"Why did I think you could be reasoned with? Oh, I've seen this before. The _noble _hero. So certain that the world is black and white… so sure of your own actions… Your naiveté is laughable. The only people responsible for the death and destruction of the last year is _you._" He said. Danyal grimaced.

"Damn you." He spat. Mortread's laugh faded.

"I can do this all day you know." He said, unsheathing, his claws and towering over him.

"So can I." Danyal said. Mortread cursed. He raised a paw as if to strike him again and Danyal, for all his bravado, flinched. Mortread lowered his paw and swore in disgust. Then left the cave without a word. Outside the cave, half a dozen wilddogs stood guard and he was only a bark away from them. He had no fears of the young lion escaping – the youth was exhausted at any rate.

* * *

Awaiting him outside of the one caves, Castella looked concerned. The red dust of the outlands and the darkening of the sky did nothing to improve Mortread's mood, but Castella's presence made him smile. They walked side by side back to the tallest of the miniature spires they controlled. Far in the distances, a good day-or-so worth of travel, the peaks of Golgorath could be seen, looking small and far less foreboding from this distance. The termite mounds of the Outlands were numerous though and not limited to the surrounding areas of that black tower. There were these half dozen smaller caverns here, which made an ideal base. Two had been converted to cells for the captured prisoners. Another three were dens for themselves and the dogs and Marsade and in the sixth, a half opened gateway leading directly to the Imperium. It was to this one that they now made their way. Turning to him, Castella looked at him.

"Anything?" She asked him.

"Nothing. I can't break him. He thinks his silence is bravery, rather than idiocy. But I am… ill-suited for such things… If Rish'ut were here… Ah… I don't suppose it matters." He said. Castella shook her head. "What of the female lion?" She asked him.

"The Lioness? What of her?" Mortread shrugged.

"Perhaps she knows something the male doesn't? Or perhaps she'll be easier to persuade into giving up information?"

"Perhaps. She's admitted nothing and I am hesitant to push her too far. Marsade wants her for something."

"What on earth-?"

"I don't know and I didn't ask. I don't especially want to know…" He said, thinking of the dark rumors surrounding the mountain in the heart of the Imperium where Marsade had made his lair.

"Perhaps I could try with her?" She asked him. Mortread shrugged.

"If you think it will help, go for it. I can't bother with it now. I need to inform the Emperor of our success."

"Of _your_ success you mean." She said smiling. Mortread smiled and then surprised her by turning and nuzzling her bear neck. Castella let out a sound and pushed him back, but was smiling.

"No. Not here." She told him. Mortread scowled, but nodded.

"Why not? We can trust these dogs. They wouldn't betray us. They are loyal to _you _first_. _Propriety isn't high on their agender."

"It's not them I worry about… It's that Shaman… he gives me the creeps. There is something about him-I don't mean all the shamanism and blood magic. I can't shake the feeling he has some bigger game that we're not privy too… Some larger pattern to his actions."

"I know the feeling…" He said softly. Castella nodded.

"You go and speak to my father…. I'll go and pay a visit to our other prisoner…" She told him. Mortread nodded. They had arrived at the final spire now and she smiled. Then turned and went back the way she had come. He braced herself, then stepped through the Gateway.

* * *

Castella pushed her way back to the Spire where she knew the Asiatic lioness was being kept. The entrance though, was barred by two more wilddogs.

"Let me pass…" She ordered them. One of the wilddog shifted. He looked very uncomfortable.

"I apologize ma'am… But I can't do that."

"Why not?" She asked, confused.

"Orders, your highness…"

"Who's orders?"

"Mine."

She turned around and saw the one-armed orangutan standing there. She shook her head.

"You don't give my wilddogs order, Shaman. I wish to speak to the prisoner…" She told him. Marsade nodded.

"I understand… But… I request that you do not for the time being." Castella frowned.

"What have you done to her?"

"Me? Nothing yet… I am simply… Curious. Many of the wilddogs claim that she is the Shaman who opened the gateway."

"It surprises you?"

"It's impossible… I wish to understand first… For that reason, I don't want anyone interfering with my experiments yet… I had hoped to use her for other purposes when this was over but now… Now… there are other opportunities…"

"Opportunities for what?"  
"You don't think that the Imperium would benefit from understanding the origins of power? The _Secret_ to attaining shamanic powers? Such a thing hasn't happened in eons…" Marsade asked. Castella stopped, stunned.

"You think…"

"Just imagine… The possibilities… I'll let you imagine what you could do with gifts such as mine… What anyone could do? The possibilities defy comprehension… This lioness… could be the key to all of that."

"And just how, -" She said. "- do you plan to use this girl?" She said, not quite following.

"I don't know yet… For now though, nothing so much as touches her. At least, that is my… _recommendation…"_

"Very well, sorcerer. Your will be done." She said, not entirely happy. She could speak to the lioness later.

* * *

The rebels were in complete and total disarray. There was a sense of urgency and panic around them and Vitani was in shock. They had just witnessed Sundar rip open the Gateway, ready to pursue Mortread and then, without warning, she had been sucked through. Lukaan was devastated, Danyal was missing and the rebels and Asiatics were panicked.

"What's going to happen now?"

"Where is the King?"

"We can't stay here – not now they know where we are. Mortread got away, we have to move-"

"We have to try and rescue them!"

"We've no idea where they are!"

The voices were continuous and unrelenting. Vitani shook her head.

"ENOUGH!" She bellowed, taking charge. "Damu, take a patrol and make sure there aren't any more dogs we missed. Calin, Darinia, Karina, make sure those dogs aren't going anywhere and for the love of kings, don't tell them _anything_. They are our only link to the Imperium right now and they'll know where the King and Sundar were taken – and how. Rafiki, make sure that Gateway isn't going to open again. It's a direct link to us and I don't want anyone opening it in the middle of the night. If the Shai'tan want to attack us again, it can't be through that Gateway, do you hear me? That gateway stays close." She said. Rafiki nodded and began to mutter some incantation. Silvery and gold light began to flow around him as the gateway flickered.

"That won't stop them opening one nearby and attacking from there." Yessen pointed out.

"Precisely. Which is why Almasi needs to take the rest of our unwounded fighters and start patrols around the dens. I want us able to leave at a moment's notice. We can't fight again, so I need Rafiki and Yessen able to open a gateway."

"We're exhausted" Rafii protested. Vitani glared at him.  
"Start resting then, because the Shai'tan won't wait for us." She told them. She slammed her paws into the ground. This had all gone horribly wrong. She had wanted to leave when they had the chance. Now what had they accomplished? Nothing! She shuddered at the thought of Sundar and Danyal in the paws of the Shai'tan.

"What can we do, Vitani? How do we help?" Sara asked her. Vitani turned and Saw the cubs there. Inti looked angry again, his flame orange eyes blazing… He always seemed angry at something these days. Koron on the other hand, looked cold and detached. Calin and Sara looked worried. Vitani sighed.

"You can pray." She said and left without another word. Sara shuddered.

"What do we do?" Inti asked. Sara shook her head, unable to speak.

"Danyal… Or Kiava… Or whatever his name really is… I can't believe it…" Calin said. The leopard cub looked small compared to the larger lion cubs. He looked very worried.

"He'll be fine, right? They won't kill him. Not if they think he's the King of the Pridelands…" Sara pointed out.

"Perhaps…" Koron agreed. It seemed likely. "Until they realize how little he actually knows. They'll keep him alive for as long as he's useful… But Vitani's plans and her way of ruling is radically different to his. There are limits to how far he could predict her actions, even if he wanted to tell them anything… Given time, they'll execute him for sure…" Koron said. Sara felt her stomach twist.

"No… They can't… They wouldn't…"

"They're _Shai'tan_, Sara! You know that there is nothing they wouldn't do…" Inti said, looking angry. Calin shivered.

"We have to rescue him… he's not just the King, he's our friend! We can't leave him and Sundar there alone. Who knows what'll happen to him?"

"You know Vitani wouldn't risk a second attack on Golgorath. Last time, it was under defended and we had a hidden way in. This time, it's crawling with fighters and there could be up to _five_ Shai'tan there! Not to mention the Emperor himself! We wouldn't stand a chance and even if we could, the casualties would be _enormous_."

"To say nothing of the fact that we're days away from that tower and the land between us and _it _iscrawling with Wilddogs and other fighters loyal to the Shai'tan… Besides, we don't even know for sure if they'll take him to Golgorath. Even with Marsade's death, they must have some way to manipulate the Gateways…" Koron said. Inti groaned.

"Which means that they could be anywhere in the entire Imperium, on any one of five different continents…" Inti finished angrily.

Sara growled, resisting the lump forming in her throat as she finally snapped!

"Stop it! Just stop it! We can't just _abandon_ them! He didn't abandon _us_ to Golgorath, nor Calin to the wilds when his parents were killed! We owe him and Sundar our lives many times over and we can't just… just… give up!" Calin nodded vigorously.

"When my parents died, it was Kiava – Or Danyal as I knew him then – and Sundar who took me in. Not the other Asiatics, certainly not the former slaves! We can't just give up on them!" He said angrily.

"No one's giving up on anyone!" A voice said and the cubs turned to see Almasi standing there. The older lioness looked paleface and looked annoyed.

"We don't know what Vitani plans on doing. You need to be patient." She said quietly. Inti snarled.

"And every moment we waste, we risk losing Danyal altogether!"

"We aren't going to lose him!" She said, glaring at her son.

"Have some trust in Vitani. She'll think of something." She said. Inti snorted. "Trust in Vitani nearly got us all killed."

"You don't know that." Almasi said sharply. "She's lead us this far and not lead us astray. Danyal's quick thinking saved us today, but it also might have been responsible for the catastrophe that followed. We don't know if doing things differently would have been better or worse for us and I for one refuse to speculate. We need to focus on the now and on the problems we have left to deal with."

"Are you telling me that Vitani actually has a plan?" Sara asked. Almasi smiled.

"Vitani always has a plan." She said.

* * *

Several feet away, Vitani made her way past the rebels who were guarding the wilddogs. Then, she motioned to one of them, who separated one dog from the group. They moved some distance away and then Vitani was left alone with dog. It looked up at her and swallowed. Vitani eyed it, dangerously.

"Hello again, Harrin. It's been a while since Golgorath, hasn't it? I was wondering if you can help me with something. See, my friends and I have something of a problem and we were really hoping you might know something that could help us." She said. Harrin stepped back a little and looked uncomfortable.

"Ah… Mistress Vitani… yes… I recall you and your friends from Golgorath. You escaped, I see." he admitted. "But… I am going to have to decline." He said. Vitani smiled.

"Oh no. I am going to have to insist." She said.

* * *

Mortread passed through the Gateway and immediately knelt down on one knee.

"My Lord Emperor, I bring news." He said. He was jerked upwards by a cold laugh.

"Get up you fool." The tiger said. Mortread stood up and frowned.

"Raeveal." He said. The other Shai'tan snorted. He was taller than Mortread and older, though not far off his age. The Shai'tan was lying on the ground, perfectly relaxed, his tail swishing slightly in an irritating manner. Raeveal was a familiar sight to Mortread, though he hadn't seen him for some time, apart from a brief interaction when he arrived in the Pridelands with his sister, Leviath, now the only surviving female Shai'tan. The pair of siblings were an odd pair – the only of the Shai'tan to be related. Rumor was they had murdered their parents together to join the Shai'tan, though he had never asked. It was a known fact that each of the Shai'tan had killed a friend or close relative before joining the Emperor. They wouldn't have been the only Shai'tan to kill their parents. Despite that, Mortread had always found Raeveal's company to be pleasant. Unlike Sekmet, Rish'ut and Asamode, Leviath, Raeveal and Amun had been welcoming of their youngest member, accepting him with open arms they day they had gathered, rather than pouring scorn and mistrust upon him.

"Mortread. Good of you join me at last." He said. Mortread looked around. They were alone.

"Where is the Emperor? I was told to come here when we had news." He said. Raeveal nodded.

"I was instructed to await you… the Emperor has decided to delegate such duties to myself… Briefly, while Marsade assists your hunt for the rebels… Then, I am to return with my sister to my… previous… work."

"I thought you were assigned to the Americas?" Mortread asked. Raeveal shrugged.

"I was for a while. Then when Asamode was summoned, I was placed in charge of the Imperial heartlands. _Then_ my sister and I were instructed to assist Marsade in his… more mystical endeavours. The Shaman has a plan, Mortread… the gateways are just the start… I've seen it. The Mountain was a setback, years of work were lost, but we gained so, so much more. The freedom to act and move without the Shaman suspecting… The spellcraft I've witnessed, the things he can do defy the imagination… and when he's finished with what he is preparing… the Pridelands won't stand a chance."

"What on earth-"

"No no no. I can't be giving away secrets on a whim, Mortread, as much as I like you, I have my orders." He said. Mortread snorted. "You talk too much."

"Yeah. And you aren't talking enough. Tell me you have some good news for the Emperor? He's rather… pensive… of late."

"Pensive?"

"Angry. Very very angry. Amun's death… bothered him. Well… Disturbed is more accurate."

"Well I should have good news. We've located the rebels… And we've managed to capture two members of their little resistance who are of… interest. Two lions." Mortread said. Raeveal frowned.

"Interest?"

"Yes. Interest. One of them appears to exhibit… Shamanic abilities."

"Abilities how?"

"She reopened a sealed gateway, then triggered a trap of Marsade's designed to siphon of magical energies."

"That's shamanic. And she's a lion? Not an ape?"

"Yes… She's very young.

"A new Shaman? Is that possible?"

"Marsade didn't think so."

"And the rebels didn't realize how… _extraordinary _this is?"

"Apparently not, because she was fighting on the front lines…"

"Bizarre." Raeveal said.

"And the other… Appears to be the King. King Kiava." He said. Raeveal's eyes widened.

"Congratulations are in order… Yet you hesitate?"

"I… am unsure. Rish'ut believe the heir would be a cub… That was how he and Sekmet captured Inti and Sara, the cubs imprisoned in Golgorath?"

"Who?"

"Never mind. No one important. The point is, the Oracle lead him to believe that Kiava was younger. The Previous King certainly didn't have any cubs when she knew him. This one is a youth. The same age as the lioness."

"Not a cub?"

"When I fought him, he was defending a cub. For a few moments, I thought it was his."

"Defiantly not a cub then."

"Would you please focus for a few moments? I don't want to tell the Emperor one thing, then change it later."

"Very wise." Raeveal stood up. "If you're not sure, just torture him until he gives up something useful."

"I don't torture people. Its unreliable."

"What do you cal you beating him about then? I can see the blood on your claws!"

"That's different. That was just me… interrogating him. He might no something important. I can't take the chance he doesn't, I need to be sure."

"Okay. Have you tried _interrogating _him, harder?" Raeveal asked, with a sly grin. Mortread didn't take the bait.

"I've tried. He wasn't very forthcoming." He said. Raeveal's brow furrowed.

"I thought you said Marsade was with you?"

"…Yes…"

"Well then, you shouldn't have any problems, should you? Let him Tort-I mean, _interrogate, _the lion." He said. Mortread paused.

"Well… yes… There is always that…" He admitted. Raeveal smiled.

"When you're exposed to more… interesting… forms of Shamanism… you start to appreciate the more obscure methods of getting what we need. You hadn't even considered that Marsade might be a better… questioner than yourself, had you?"

"I hadn't." He admitted. Raeveal nodded.

"Trust me. He is. Just do yourself a favour. Don't. Watch."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The sounds will be bad enough." Raeveal advised. Mortread's eyes widened. Raeveal wasn't what you'd call squeamish, yet he looked positively pale. Raeveal looked around.

"I'll tell him that you are making progress. That you have a possible identification of the King and you are torturing the captured lion to make sure. He'll be very pleased. You should find yourself back in favor soon my friend." He said. "Which will be a relief to her highness Castella, I am sure." He added. Mortread paused.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Mortread. Nothing. Gossip simply gets around." He said. Mortread said nothing. Then nodded and reminded himself once more that he needed to throttle Asamode in his sleep. If that reptile actually slept.

"I must… return to my command then. We lost half a pack of wilddogs in the attack. We'll have to move quickly if we are to rescue them and retrieve the dead."

"No. You have you orders. Focus on torturing the lions first and when you are done, move your forces and prisoners – if they live - to the Imperial Heartlands. I am sure Marsade will want to experiment with the Asiatican Shaman and I daresay he'll be able to find _some _use for the male as well. Just be quick about it. Time is of the essence." He said. Mortread paused.

"But Harrin and the other-"

"I can arrange for more soldiers, if you feel you need to replenish your troops Mortread, but ask yourself this, do you really want to risk the success of the capture of the Rebel King over some _dogs_? Do you want to explain _that _to the Emperor if you fail? I am doing you a favor, Mortread, you've got your orders. I _strongly_ suggest you avoid interpreting them creatively. For your own sake. " he said. Mortread scowled. Fair enough. Raeveal turned and without another word. Mortread exited through the gateway he had entered from and found himself confronted with an uncomfortable sight. The orangutan shaman was sitting there, hovering, as if he had known he would soon be needed. Mortread sighed.

"Come with me. I have a need of your… talents." He said, frowning.

"Since I gather the lion resisted your more… conventional techniques – if you can call such clumsy bludgeoning, _techniques… _To question the young lion? I suspected you would request my assistance, sooner or later. I think it's important we all get time set aside for things we enjoy…" He made a motion and the black bladed stone dagger he wielded burst into existence in his undamaged hand. "When do we start?" he asked, almost gleefully.

"You don't have any qualms?" Mortread asked him. Marsade laughed.

"It's a friend of Rafiki's. You'd have to hold me back to stop me from getting involved." He looked at Mortread's expression. "We all need a hobby, right? I think it's important to mix work and leisure."

* * *

Back in the cavern, Danyal felt a trickle of blood and touched a paw to his forehead, where Mortread has struck him. He had no idea where Sundar was… Was she even alive? Mortread's interrogation hadn't been comfortable, but he had expected worse, from his experiences with Sekmet. He looked around at his surroundings. Defiantly in the Outlands. The reddish dust that enveloped the ground was unmistakable, as was the heat. While hardly a desert in the traditional sense of the word, the air was dry and the lack of water was apparent. The dust was so fine it stuck to his fur, coating him in a darker hue. His only thanks was the lack of insects. Notorious for the termites, scorpions and all sorts of biting and stinging insects, the Shaman had clearly done something to repel the creatures from the area.

The Shaman. That was right… The cruel sorcerer, Marsade had survived… Rafiki had said he'd been killed, but clearly the old mandrill was mistaken. He was in some kind of cavern. Stone? Not quite, the structure was like that of Golgorath, the same material. That settled it. Defiantly the outlands then.

Which meant he was miles and miles from his friends and fellow fighters. The top of the cave was open to the air, letting natural sunlight into it, which was another thing to be thankful for, though it did nothing for the heat. At least he wasn't sealed in darkness. He looked to the entrance of the cave. It was guarded by… Half a dozen wilddogs? He was almost flattered.

"Hey." He called out. One wilddog turned to him.

"What?" He grunted.

"Mind letting me know when your glorious leader will be returning?" he asked. The wilddog shrugged.

"Scared?" It asked. Danyal looked around.

"Should I be?" He asked, fairly sure he knew the answer, but thinking it a small victory to ask, nevertheless. The dog snorted.

"Unless you are very stupid. Idiot rebels… How fools like you managed to kill Sekmet, Rish'ut and Amun is beyond me. You have no reason to be alive." It said. Danyal kept his face straight. Confirmation of Amun's death then. And presumably, Rish'ut hadn't survived his encounter with Zira either. They had suspected, but until now, couldn't have been sure. Now he was.

"I guess I am tough to kill…" Danyal said. But the wilddog hadn't responded. Instead it backed away and threw its eyes to the ground.

"Oh, I am not going to _kill_ you…" A voice said. Danyal tried not to flinch, as the familiar shape of the orangutan, Marsade entered the cavern. He was followed by Mortread.

"Leave us." He said, sharply

"My Lord?" The guard asked, in surprise.

"We won't be needing guards. You know better than to question orders." Mortread said. The wilddogs left in a hurry. Marsade drew himself to full height and circled around Danyal. Danyal turned, unsure of whether he wanted to turn his back to the Shai'tan, or the Shaman. Danyal's bravado had vanished and he was eyeing the Shaman warily. The Orangutan was stroking his chin, as if deciding how best to proceed.

"Now… Let's see… How about we start with your name?" Marsade asked. Danyal frowned.

"My name is Kiava." He said after a pause. "You know that." Marsade smiled.

"Ah… Yes… I _know_ that_._ Did you ever meet Zira?"

"What?"

"I asked if you ever met Zira Devilqueen? Quite an unsavory character… But you are no Asiatic lion… So you must be a native Pridelander. Like what we've done with the place?"

"I met her." Danyal said. Marsade nodded.

"Did you notice her scars? She was never the most beautiful lioness – you've seen her daughter - but I _ruined _her. Her face a wonderful mosaic by the time was through with her. And while I was doing this to her, we had some very interesting discussions…" He leaned in close. "She told me a little of her family. About the Civil War.

"I know the history." Danyal said. Marsade nodded.

"Yes. Zira also told me about her mate and about her children. I find it interesting that she eventually admitted that they were not her own… she was… damaged at quite a young age. I am not surprised she lied honestly, she had nothing to offer a mate herself and she couldn't even have cubs. What mate would have her if they knew? And her lover was a prince! What a fairytale ending that must have been. I hadn't thought of Scar to have been the charitable sort…" He said. Danyal looked around, wondering where Marsade was going with this.

"Zira is of no interest to me." He said. Marsade grinned.

"And yet, she was of interest to Rish'ut… She knew things, my friend. Things she told the Imperium. The Schism. The Civil War. And how it ended. With the crowning of King Kovu and the Queen Kiara – Gods, she _hated _that lioness. The important detail, is that Kiava's birth was unknown to her. Rish'ut took pleasure in telling her, right before we attacked Pride Rock… And you… whoever you are… were born _during _the Civil War. Not afterwards. You are _not _King Kiava…" Marsade said.

Danyal's eyes widened. Then Marsade made a motion and scarlet light burst into hellish brilliance before him. The edges of the cavern and its entrance erupted into magma and fire, a dagger was in his hand. He pressed it into his own stub of a left hand for a moment, until blood, glistening, shining and burning with hellfire burst out of it. Then the shadows began to dance.

It was like a cloud of locusts, of raging, shifting, shadows. Turbulent water, or a smoky mass. Red light seemed to burn within it and the darkness swelled. Marsade's eyes glowed red and he grinned, showing his teeth. Then, limb, tentacles, arms, appendages, _somethings, _erupted from the cloud of darkness which whirled around them. They burst forth violently and struck out, gripping, pawing at Danyal's limbs.

"What the…!" Danyal's exclamation was cut off as the tentacles of raging shadows twisted tightly and painfully around his forelegs and then his rearlegs and pulled. He strained, but almost immediately was dragged to his knees and then forced to the ground, his belly pressing hard against the dirt. He tried to struggle, but the ethereal limbs were like iron and his muscles strained painfully. He couldn't move so much as a muscle in any of his limbs. Then Marsade moved forwards, dagger held carelessly in his hand and kneeled down next to Danyal. Then the youth felt as stab of fear as his neck twisted painfully to look up at him.

"This is what I need you to understand now, _Boy_." The Shaman said.

"Right now… You are _completely _helpless. You can't even move without my permission. I could smother your breath if I wanted to. Cut off your blood. I could, if I chose, leave you like this for _months _on end. I am the one with the power. Not you. You are _not _in control. So when I ask you a question… You don't get to _decide_, whether you answer it or not. You just answer it." Marsade said, leaning in and pressing the blade to Danyal's throat.

"What. Is. Your. Name?" He asked, his voice turning soft. Mortread still hadn't said a word. Danyal looked up at Marsade.

"My name is Kiava." He said.

Marsade struck at Danyal with the blade and white hot pain erupted on the young lion's face. Danyal gasped. The cut, light though it was, spilling blood freely and the shadows around him reacted violently to it, as if hungry, shifting madly like sharks, almost alive.

"Don't play games with me!" The shaman shouted. He stood up.

"There are a hundred paths from here. All of them are exceptionally painful for you. A hundred futures. I could carve my name into your back. Slice off each of your toes, one by one. I could leave you blinded, speechless, lying in your own blood and filth! I could take a single grain of sand, heat it till it is _white, _placeit on your back and watch it melt through you." In front of him, a single grain of sand levitated into the air in front of Danyal's eyes and began, slowly to glow. Red at first, then orange, then a brilliant white. It was so hot. That small though it was and hovering four inches from his face, he could feel its heat. He felt his heart begin to pound now and his mouth go dry.

Then, the shadowy tentacles binding him flipped. He was lifted high into the air, a good three feet and then slammed into the ground with such force that he felt the air leave his lungs. He gasped. He was forced onto his back. The position was uncomfortable, forced and left him strained. He saw the white hot grain its way over, so that it was hovering over his belly. He felt its heat on his stomach, where his fur was short and felt its prickle, itching, as it lowered. He swallowed.

"Then, when that has dropped to the floor beneath you, if I haven't heard everything I want, I could start again… with a second… tiny… grain of sand."

"Enough." He managed to gasp, feeling fear now. And the light of the sand winked out. Marsade bared his teeth and he could see a wild look in his eye.

"I. Own. You." He said the words slowly and softly, so that only Danyal could hear them. "Don't imagine for one minute that you won't _break. _Because I can promise you that you will. The on thing in every future, is that _I get what I want and you are left in agony. _ The mortal form can only endure so much before it shatters under the strain." He said. Danyal tried to struggle again, feeling the blood from where he had been cut trickling down and stinging his eyes, but the tentacles grasped a hold of him tightly. He was powerless. He couldn't move, much less fight him.

That was without a doubt, what Marsade wanted him to feel. Helpless. Powerless.

"You are only causing yourself more pain…" Mortread warned him.

Danyal grunted again as Marsade ran the knife along the other side of his face, cutting deep. Then he pulled away.

"Tell me then. What it is I want to know. _Everything _you know about the rebels and leave nothing out." He said. Danyal paused his breath caught and then he spat, blood and spittle mingling through the air until they caught Marsade on the face. It hissed and evaporated instantly. Mortread sighed. So much for intimidation.

Marsade made a gesture and the tentacles flicked again and for a moment, Danyal wondered if he planned to tear his limbs free of his body. They were certainly strong enough for it. He felt fear now, true fear and horrible crippling fear.

"No…" He said quietly. "You can tear me into pieces… You can break every one of my bones… I won't… tell you a thing…" He said. Mortread scowled, wondering if they were wasting their time.

"Oh… I believe you…" He said. Then flicked his wrist. And the four tentacles that twisted around his limbs tightened, twisted and then a hideous lancing pain seared through his limbs as each of them was bent backwards and snapped. Danyal screamed. The pain was immense.

Mortread's mouth dropped open, but he shut it quickly, resisting the urge to turn away. Danyal screamed and get screaming. Then, Marsade's eyes flashed once more and one of the two staffs he bore gave off a radiant glow and Mortread watched in astonishment as the limbs returned to their appropriate positions and the cuts began to seal. After a few seconds, Danyal stopped screaming and was returned to the previous position: His entire body held motionless. He was panting heavily though and sweat and blood pouring down his face, pressing his mane over his eyes. His head hung limply, without even the strength to lift it. Marsade leaned and gripped a fistful of hair in his hand and pulled his head up to face him. Danyal gasped again in pain and his eyes were wide. The young lion looked in shock.

"We can do that again if you like…?" Marsade asked and Danyal's stomach twisted and he let out an involuntary moan of fear. "No? Then tell me the information I seek, or I will break you limbs, one at a time, in so many different places that by the time I am finished with you you'll have five tail!" He said and Mortread had little doubt that Marsade would. In battle, Marsade would settle for bolts of flame and bursts of pure force, throwing people around like they were nothing. Brutual, efficient and simplistic killing. Here though, Marsade could take his time. He could pick his way through, feeding of the fear and of the terror that was now emanating from the young lion. It was honourless. For a moment, it made Mortread so uncomfortable he nearly called him off. But no. The Lion had brought this upon himself. He'd forced their paws, knowing what he was getting into. And besides. If he didn't have _something _for the emperor to report for all of this, his own neck would be on the line. It was yet another evil of war – a war that was prolonged by the actions of these rebels. They were truly mad. So he said nothing. Marsade's grip tightened and he jerked Danyal's head up further by the hair of his mane, pulling it tightly and extracting yet another gasp of pain from Danyal. "Tell me… _Everything_…" He said.

"I… I don't know anything… Ugh…" Danyal gasped, the lie falling from his lips, but

"Say that again?"

"I… Ugh… Please… _stop it." _It hurt. Kings that hurt. Marsade let Danyal's head fall to the ground with a thump and stepped back.

"I don't believe you." He said and made another jerking movement with his hand. Once more the mass of darkness around him twisted and began to _strain, _pulling backwards and this time, Danyal gave a shout of pain and fear long before they reached breaking point. Feeling sick with fear and with pain he gasped aloud.

"No! Please! I can't tell you anything… I…"

"You are lying to me. You were leading the rebels. You might not be the King but you hold some position of strength and power among them. Who are you?" He waited and when no answer was forthcoming, Marsade snarled as if to start again. Then he hesitated and shook his head. The blood was pooling now, from with a snap of his fingers, he lifted it high into the air and the blood swirled around them. Mortread stepped back at the shameless display of powerful bloodmagic as it whirled around them like a tempest and became to condense in front of Marsade.

"**_No matter… If you won't give me the information I seek willingly, then I will come in there and take it." _**Mortread said, it voice taking a new and dangerous quality as he filled with power.

He swept his hand aside and the blood flowing from Danyal took a form and will of its own, moving away, floating in the air like oil on water, until it collapsed into a sphere before him. Marsade, his blade already wet with blood, lifted it to his face and took a long, deep sniff. Then, began to shudder in euphoria and licked the blade clean. When he opened his eyes, they were blazing and glowing a demonic red and the shadows seemed to length as the dark tentacles around them seemed to suck the light from the cave, plunging them into a dismal darkness with only Marsade's hellish hue lighting them. Danyal groaned in pain at some strange new sensation. The air tasted charged as if with lightning. Danyal gasped and then let out another low moan as he felt something pressing, hard and forceful against his temples. Softly at first, but building in pressure until it became unignorably.  
Marsade stood directly in front of him, while Danyal, bound and bent over, could no longer move, even if he were not bound by the dark twisted mess of his shadowy bonds. Marsade slowly outstretched a hand and twisted it into a fist. His dagger materialized once more in his hand and then the pain increased and the blood, which spiraled and twisted and swirled around them and around the dagger, burst outwards spraying the ground and walls of the cave. And Marsade darted forwards and slammed the dagger down, driving it through Danyal's back. Danyal's eyes snapped open and he screamed as he felt fire dance through the wound and throughout his body. The cold indescribable sensation of dagger _inside him _as it twisted_._

Danyal shuddered and threw back his head. He howled in pain.

Something inside him snapped. Something important was breached. Something broke apart under the strain.

And then Marsade was inside his mind, his consciousness and his will moving through Marsade's arm, along the dagger and into Danyal. He felt him.

Mortread flinched, looking at Marsade in alarm. The plan hadn't been to kill him! But even as Danyal shuddered, he remained where he was and remained conscious. The blade had missed any organs, penetrating at an angle, leaving a deep gash, but leaving Danyal alive – for now. He shuddered once more. And then Marsade began the real attack. And the real torture.

It was a strange thing. A hideous, alien presence that felt wrong, cold and dark. It filled his thoughts until everything else seemed to fade away. Then, without a sound, Marsade began to sift through his thoughts, his memories and his dreams. Everything was open to him, Danyal grunted.

"Ah… _Danyal_… His name is **Danyal**." Marsade muttered as the thought came to him, like a leaf on a breeze. He dug deeper and Danyal gasped. It was like a wound being forced open. The confines of his mind being split open by a blunt object and Marsade was pulling the pieces slowly apart.

_Danyal. Why don't you try to relax…? _Marsade taunted. Danyal struggled, but the physical struggle against his bonds was no longer the fight here. He needed to get him _out. _To force him free.

_Oh, you can try… But while you focus on that little task, how about I take a look at what we need hmm?_

_Where are the rebels hiding _now_? _He _felt _rather than heard the question.

Danyal tried not to think about it, but that only made the thoughts come more easily. The more he tried to think of something else, the more they forced their way to the surface of his thoughts.

It was a difficult mind to move through, Marsade noted. Chaotic and turbulent, constant and shifting. He was intelligent and willful, that certainly made his job easier. Perhaps he should…. No. Focus.

_Five Stones._

The answer came to him.

"Mortread. The rebels are hiding out near Five Stones, less than a few hours from where the Gateway opened. You were spotted coming through by sheer coincidence and the rebel fighters created an ambush…" He said.

He pushed harder. Further. Images of dens sprang to mind. Dens and hideaways, the caves where they slept. The guards. Karina, Darina, Forn, all of them and their patterns. Marsade grinned as it all came to him and Danyal gave out a cry.

"No… Please…" He shuddered once more. Then he opened his eyes and fixed Marsade with a cold stare. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He screamed. Marsade flinched for a moment and Danyal tried to push his mind away. Then, he retaliated. And it was like being hit with ice. Cold swept over him. Fear, despair, loss, all the horrible thoughts he had ever experienced, all the guilt for every wrong he had done, every terrible thought and bitten-back curse, every instance of misery and every moment of sadness he had ever felt washed over him in that moment. Anger was swept away, Determination fell to immediate and unimaginable worthlessness. In a few moment, it had faded and his normal thoughts and feelings returned, but Danyal was left shaking, gasping for air.

"What…" He couldn't finish. It was horrible.

"The mind is the realm of the unreal, Danyal... You will submit it, or you will break as I _master _it!" Marsade struck again and the mindstrike he felt made him recoil.

"Who are the rebel leaders?" Mortread asked and the information was ripped from Danyal's mind.

Vitani, the Leader in all but name. But himself as well now… The animals looked up to him, trusted him and relied on him. Vitani would rule as regent though. She was deadly and skillful and intelligent. _And reckless… Aggressive… violent and single minded. She was authoritarian and ruthless… _His treacherous mind went on. Danyal ground his teeth. _She's a fool! She thinks to unite the Pride with more lies and treachery, more arrogance more… _

"_UGH! Stop it!" _Danyal screamed. His resistance was hurting now, the pain of Marsade's weapon fading into nothing as it was overshadowed by the oppressive, invasive pain of Marsade's mind tearing into his. It hurt, _KINGS_ it hurt. It was as if ice and fire were rolling through his head and everything he so much as thought, Marsade knew instantly. He had to get _out! He was telling him _**_everything_**_._

"The Pride – sorry, the _Rebellion_ isn't united in the least! It's predominantly made up the survivors of Kovu's Pride… A handful of Asiatic lionesses who escaped Asiatica… and the rebel slaves who escaped from Rish'ut's control of Golgorath. They've been joined by a few defectors as well… _Jahi… Talib… _Former fighters for the Imperium…" Marsade said. "But there is distrust there though… aggravation. They are trying to unite them. But they are united only by their desire to destroy the Imperium! Wrath and Ruin!" Dnyal jerked as he tried to hide them, but slowly he felt each of the vulnerabilities of the rebels known to him be pulled from his head.

"The rebellion is cracked." Marsade continued. "A major defeat that killed their leaders could shatter them into multiple factions… Just as we did whe. The Rebellion is _vulnerable_." Marsade informed Mortead, who smiled.

"What else! What else does he know?! If he isn't the real Kiava then where is he?"

"Kiava… isn't among the Rebels…" Marsade said as the information came to him

"WHAT!" Mortread gasped.

Marsade's attention was direct, his eyes narrowed and the slicing pain through Danyal's head intensified. He could almost hear it now, like a high pitched droning sound, piercing into his mind.

_What does he look like_? He felt Marsade ask him.

_A golden cub with a dark tuft flashed across Marsade's vision. _He was right. He hadn't seen him among the fighters. Danyal looked uncannily like Kovu and that let Vitani pass him off as his heir, but the _real _Kiava, or at least, the Kiava in Danyal's memories… He wasn't among the rebels. Marsade scowled.

"He is gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone. They lost him! They have as much idea as to where the King is as we do! Without a ruler, the rebellion is nothing more than a ragtag bunch of rebels and fighters and a couple of psychopaths with blood-vendettas against the Imperium." Marsade told him. Mortread laughed, the young tiger finally feeling relief for the first time in months. There was no danger. Not to him, nor to the Imperium, or even to his position in the Imperium. They had clearly massively overestimated the danger presented by the rebel faction and soon enough it would be destroyed. His mind was already racing with ideas and strategies to accomplish this.

More and more, Marsade took from Danyal. Individual names and prominent members of the rebellion. How they fought, how they acted, how they _would _act in certain situations, it was all ripped from his head and Marsade relayed it to Mortread with glee, taking delight in the pain he inflicted, but more in the ever growing, will eroding guilt he could feel from Danyal and as the young lion was powerless to stop him. There was nothing Danyal could do.

"Oh… Danyal, I could make you a Lord of the Imperium right now…" Mortread grinned and Danyal's head fell to ground, guilt surging through him. _They knew everything… _he groaned as more pain surged through his head. It kept building, with every minute Marsade spent with his mind locked to his.

"_Please_… Stop…" Danyal managed to gasp as it became unbearable. But the more pain he felt, the easier it was for Marsade to pick his way through his head. It was torture, plain and simple. It didn't stop. Marsade didn't let up at all. He pulled and he prodded and he tore and he stabbed at Danyal's mind. The rebels. The Asiatics. Everything. Danyal tried to fight it, tried to fight through the pain, but each time he did, the pain built and he could fight back less and Marsasde got what he wanted quicker and easier than the moment before. He screamed in pain and in despair at the fact that eventually, Marsade would manage to tear every secret, every hidden thought free of him. It was as if he was drawn to whatever he tried to hide and he was merciless in striking to get at it.

Then, Danyal stopped fighting it. The pain became too much to bear. Too much to fight against. It was all-encompassing now, his mind was being torn to shreds.

"NO… Ugh! STOP!" He managed to howl as more and more was ripped clean of his head. He could see them now, appearing around him. Sara and Inti, next to him, looking up at him as the wilddogs struck at them and stole them away. Calin, the young leopard cub, desperate, hungry, alone. Koron, eyes haunted by murder and death, in danger of losing himself. Almasi, trapped and unable to move, Damu, her daughter missing and he unable to help her. And Vitani. Always so… so disappointed in him. So angry with him. Nothing he did was worthwhile to her, nothing he gave was enough. He could see them now. And after his friends, his enemies, ripped out of his mind. Mortread, Rish'ut, Asamode, the Ligers and none as terrible as the one before him, the Shaman who twisted his way through his mind even as his dagger twisted through his flesh. Even Sekmet and the pain he had felt at her claws, that terrible, failure of his to defend mere children from a monster. A monster that wrecked her revenge upon him for his defiance, with pain and loss and wrath and-

"I don't believe it! You were the one who defeated _Sekmet_!" Marsade laughed, but his voice was far away now. The memory was near though, the memory of that battle, of that fight, that was resurgent and was realer now than ever. Marsade ripped it free and pulled it to the surface. And he could _see _her, Sekmet, Lady of Golgorath, her sadistic face grinning, her ambush and her vile offer to join the Imperium. Her anger and her hatred and the fight and the blood and the Pain and the loss and the guilt that he failed and then falling, falling, falling from a great height, landing with a single lance of pain that rushed through him and the sound of her screams and the spray of her blood as she fell too, upon the spikes of the ravine below. He felt the damage she had done to him, to his back, to his face and his stomach, the scars that didn't heal even with Sunder's shamanism.

He had failed. Failed Sara and Inti and Vitani and all the others then and he failed them _now _as his mind was picked clean of every secret, every dark thought. He could feel it, now, feel what she had done to him. He'd tried to forget, tried to lock it away, but Marsade's assault brought it back up in fall force and he screamed.

"_PLEASE STOP! KINGS STOP IT!"_ He was begging now, he knew. Was that all it took? To make him beg? But he could bear no more. "PLEASE!" He shouted in pain.

Marsade ignored him. Then, he twisted the knife and more memories surfaced. Danyal screamed as it became worse. Worse than the pain, worse than Sekmet mutilating his face and maiming his arm, intending for him to die in agony. Worse than everything she inflicted upon him. The aftermath of his insane decision. His paralysis. His darkest days of self-loathing and depression. Being abandoned. Left behind by the others, while they rescued the cubs he had failed to save. Worthless. Useless. Failed. Silently wanting to die and despising the life he had left.

"PLEASE! NO! STOP! NO MORE! STOP IT! PLEASE!" He tried to writhe against his bonds, but they were as tight as ever and he could barely thrash his head around, his eyes screwed shut.

"No more! Just kill me! no more!" He begged, as Marsade dug deeper with his blade and with his mind.

_But how did you- Ah. _Sundar_… That's how. She healed you. So the Shaman's name is Sundar is it?_ He could hear Marsade whisper in his head.

It all flashed through him.

The most beautiful lioness he had ever seen. The gateways she carved her way through, saving her Pride, her struggles with her own power, using them to heal him and her staying by him as he healed. He saw her honing her powers, practicing holding a flame and the powerful icy blasts she could unleash. Her training with Yessen – what Danyal knew of it – and other things, private things, like how she moved and walked and spoke, how she made him feel, the sound of her voice as they lay in the dark, the night before the battle of the glade. Long before then, the day he was injured in the hours afterwards, how she had come to him and helped him piece first his mind back together and then his body and then his life. Cooling, like water on a burn.

_How pathetic… Perhaps, if you can't be of any assistance to me… she knows something you don't?_

"No! Don't hurt her, please!" And Danyal felt another ice cold fear grip him. A fear as real and as terrible as any of the pain he had inflicted upon him thus far. It shook him to his core.

"Then tell me what I want to know! Tell me!"

"Not Sundar… Ugh! Please, stop! Stop this!"

He could feel Marsade recoil in disgust at his weakness. _Her _powers_ – where do they come from? What makes her so powerful? She possesses no Rod! No Staff of power, no source! What gives her those gifts? How did she steal them? No one just gets powers! No one is born with them! What are they! What is SHE?_

He focused on Sundar. Her healing light, everything about her that he loved and how much he loved her. And his anger. Anger that Vitani would betray him… and promise her to Kiava! A mere child, a cub! That betrayal stung. The ever present, ever growing hurt of the knowledge that even if they won, he'd be damned to watch from afar as the lioness he loved turned to another for love and comfort – or else and perhaps worse, she'd be trapped in a loveless, political union. The despair that filled him with, the anger, the hatred, the betrayal. Let Marsade have that! Let him feel that! Let him pick that memory from him and let him keep it!  
Marsade scowled in frustration. Danyal knew nothing of Sundar's powers… Only the sickening disgusting nativity of his attraction to her. He stabbed deeper with the dagger and Danyal jerked, coughing up blood. Mortread's eyes widened and he cleared his throat.

"Marsade… you are killing him…" Mortread observed, looking slightly concerned.

"His mind is intact still…" Marsade dismissed his concerns.

"It's not his mind you are killing…" Mortread pointed out. Danyal's eyes began to lose their light and he sank to ground, more and more of his resistance began to fade away. Marsade quickly riffled through a few more memories, knowing he was running out of time.

"He's got no family among the rebels. He was orphaned long before the Imperium arrived. You'll get no ransom or deal from the rebels for _his _life. He is nothing to them. Just a _puppet_."

"Are you sure of that?" Mortread asked.

"Perhaps if the rebels still thought that he was the King he might be of some use to you… but I would guarantee that this Vitani… would have revealed their little secret to the rebels not long after his capture… Revealed the deception… Probably with the spin that this…Danyal… was a decoy to fool _us, _rather than unite them under false pretenses. It might work, but it will return their focus to hunting down the _real_ Kiava. This pretender will be useless to them." Marsade said. He looked at Danyal, who was now bleeding heavily from the deep wounds that had been inflicted upon him. Mortread followed his gaze.

"Can he offer us any more information?" He asked. Marsade shrugged.

"I doubt it. I could try and force something more… But it risks… permanent damage."

"Permanent?"

"Let me put it like this: Even if the rebels do decide to mount a rescue attempt, and even if they do retrieve him, they'd have to retrain him not to defecate in front of them, before he could so much as speak again, let alone ever fight for them again. He'd retain some memories, but not enough of himself to express them. To see their king, even a false one, is such a state, could do more damage than killing him." Marsade pointed out.

Mortread recoiled in disgust at the thought.

"No." He said firmly. "He… could still of some use alive." He said.

Marsade grinned. "Are you sure? His body _would_ be left perfectly intact… and suitable for… other… pursuits I might have? I have thus far limited my experiments to the lionesses, but I am sure I could think of something? No? Ah well. Just a thought." He removed his blade from Danyal, who let out a sigh of relief. Then, Marsade muttered something in hellspeak and made a dismissive motion with his hand and the shadowy tentacles vanished from sight, dropping their ensnared prey to the ground. Danyal let out a heavy breathe then, gasping for air. Every single one of his muscles ached in pain now but it was not his physical injuries that hurt him the most.

He felt violated. A part of him wanted to vomit. His mind barely registered the Shai'tan and the Shaman discussing his fate. He had… given them everything they could have wanted. He hadn't been able to resist, to do anything.

Mortread barked an order and half a dozen wilddogs came rushing into the cavern. As a group they gripped hold of various parts of Danyal and unresisting, Danyal let himself be dragged form the cave, leaving behind a dark red stain of blood along the floor as he did so.,

"Are you going to leave him like that? He'll bleed out in a few minutes…" Mortread asked, noticing the blood. Marsade shrugged.

"I want to see what this… Sundar… is capable of. I saw his memories of her… and Past the… _emotive _display… She managed to heal him once before. Let her heal him again. If she can't, then I know she's no threat to me and no use to me. If she does succeed," he said, his eyes glinting, "then we can see where we go from there. Either way, he will get no healing from me." Marsade said. Mortread looked as if to argue, but then nodded his head. "In truth, I hope she succeeds. It will be… interesting… to find someone like me." He said. Danyal made a noise and Mortread blinked in surpise that the lion was still conscious.

"What did you just say?" he asked. Danyal coughed up more blood.

"I said… That Sundar is _nothing _like you…" He spat. "She never will be… And she'll never let you abuse her gift…" he managed to say. Marsade frowned.

"Heh. And what, in your _expert_ opinion, makes you think that?" He asked. Danyal shuddered.

"She… is healer… she is compassionate… and kind… and would never hurt anyone. She cares for other people." He managed to open his eyes and fixed Marsade with a hateful stare. "All you care for is yourself! All you do is kill!" Marsade smirked. "I can do worse than kill… and you''ll find to your horror, _Danyal. _As you just _witnessed." _He said dangerously.

"She is nothing like you… She is like… Rafiki." Danyal said, as the world began to distort and he felt his vision fading.

Marsade looked down at him, his eyes blazing. He drew his dagger once more and held it to Danyal's throat. The lion did resist or flinch.

"_And what m_akes you think that Rafiki is any different to me! I am what he _made _me into! I am what he shaped me! I am what _he _really is! I just don't hide it! That mandrill is a _murder_. A liar. A hypocrite and a monster! Hundreds are dead because of _him and_ I will have my revenge! I don't care what I have to do, or what needs to be done to get it! Rules, right, wrong, they are _nothing _to me now! There is only _him! _And anything I can do to hurt him. I'll _burn_ his most precious things! And that is his family! His friends! His home! I will turn the Pridelands into a molten hell! THEN, he will begin to understand what it was he _did to me!" _Marsade shouted.

"You are pathetic. And insane." Danyal said. Marsade threw back his head and laughed.

"Insane? Because I return his crime for crime? I am following his _circle! _His precious circle of life. Here is the circle! He murdered my family and destroyed my home! Now I've done the same to him – and with the same weapons! Do you think Rafiki the _healer_ is anything other than a disguise? A façade? You've seen what the Shaman _are_. What we have _become_. We are the immortals! Ageless. Limitless. Peerless. Do you think such a person would ever willingly assume the role of a mere hermit? Did you never once wonder why Rafiki spends his life hiding in the Pridelands? When he has enough power in his staff to destroy a mountain!?" He leaned in close to Danyal. "I hope you die. I hope you die so that your death can hurt him. I hope you die leaving behind every scar, every mark so that he knows what you died of. I hope you can show him how much pain one person can endure. So he can know that it's all _his _fault. Then, I will do the same to _another _of his friends. And another. Then, by the time my plan is complete he will have no one to hide behind, no shield from my vengeance."

"You've… Gone mad."

"No. I've gone sane. I _was_ mad. I thought I knew the world. I thought it was beautiful. I thought it was wonderful. But then I lost everything and it drove me _sane, _because I can see the world for what it is. A worthless, barren rock, circling an explosion for a breath heartbeat of the universe's lifetime that will flicker and fade! I have gone _sane, _Danyal. But if you want to understand me… I can show you. I'll show you how _innocent_ Rafiki really is! You don't need to take my word for it! I can show you the monstrosities he committed!"

And suddenly, without warning and without pause, he reached down and touched Danyal on the head and the full force of Marsade's mind struck at Danyal. For a moment, Marsade's scarlet glow illuminated them both. Weakened, tired, humiliated, tortured, exhausted and with a gaping hole in his back, Danyal gave a single loud shout of pain and then he collapsed. Mortread looked at the seething shaman in a mixture anxiety and alarm.

"What have you done?!" He asked, checking Danyal over for more injuries and finding him still breathing, just, though his injuries bled the life from him even as they spoke. Marsade, who was left scowling, spat on the ground.

"He'll wake up, soon enough… And when he does, he'll have a whole different view of Rafiki. If he survives his injuries."

"What are you talking about? What did you do?"

Marsade paused, then he gestured around him. "I was _not _going to let him into my mind. He doesn't have the training to walk the twilight realm. But there was another way he could see the shadows of things that have been… These lands, their stones, their dust, their very essences, they have long memories. I've just made him… sensitive… to such things. For a short while. It was always Yessen's specialty… he could read memory from stones. See what they saw.

"You talk… as though the land is alive…" Mortread said, slowly. Marsade nodded.

"Yes. I do don't I? The point, my friend is that he will listen to what they have to say, see what they saw and know once and for all what a twisted, hateful little thing Rafiki really is."

"What… _Why!?" _Mortread asked in exasperation. Marsade grimaced.

"If nothing else it will show him and any who listens to him what Rafiki really is. And then? Who knows? If his pride rejects him, perhaps Rafiki will finally have the courage to face me. If not…. I'll just keep carving up his friends." He said, sounding dangerous. Mortread shook his head.

"Guards! Get this… Lion… Out of my sight. Drag him back to his cell. If he dies, let me know." He said, distractedly. He looked away from the injuries Danyal had suffered and made a mental note to follow Raeveal's advice from now on. He certainly didn't want to see such an interrogation ever again. He turned to Marsade.

"Did you discover anything _else _in there?"

"Several sickeningly _adolescent _feelings about that lioness of his… I… Think though, I might be able to plan the Pridelanders next move." He said. Mortread nodded, eager to forget the whole experience and move onto something he _did _understand and have the stomach for.

* * *

**AN:**

**It was interesting to note, that somehow I've slipped into "imperials Vs Rebel" terminology. Which is a tad unfortunate. It is not intended to reference Star Wars. Originally it was The Pridelands, Vs The Shai'tan Imperium. But with the Imperium occupying the Pridelands.**

**Lots to Cover here.**

**Mortread's attempt at interrogating Danyal. This was here for two reasons. First, to show just how different Mortread is to some of the Shai'tan. His idea of torture consists of beating Danyal around a bit. Very different to the incoherent pain and mental assault Marsade unleashes.**

**Of course, Marsade's cruelty was very evident here. Though it is unusual, even for him. Marsade isn't usually nearly as psychotic. However, he knows Danyal is a member of 'Rafiki's' Pride and as such, despises him – likewise with Zira, though he doesn't care that the feeling was returned by Zira. He hates Rafiki more than anything and he hates every one of his friends, down to the last cub, with enough passion to do ****_this_****, many times over. You'll have a greater understanding in the next Chapter, which will feature some of the furthest Flashbacks ever. Flashbacks, leading back to when Rafiki and Yessen and Marsade had their falling out. **

**Yes. I'll admit. It's heavily contrived. But I needed a way for Danyal to ****_experience _****these flashbacks, rather than just have it told through exposition.**

**We also got a quick look at the Rebellion and their reaction to Danyal and Sundar's capture, which is something. Vitani isn't pleased and knows that a frontal assault on Golgorath would be suicide. Fortunately, she seems to have a plan.**

**We get a short look at one of the more obscure Shai'tan. Raeveal. If the Shai'tan were a human crew of mercenaries, he'd be the bleached blond playing with a lighter of tactical knife, making snide remarks. He's also been assigned to assist Marsade with whatever he's been doing, which means he is a little more aware of Marsade's experiments, although he hasn't taken an active role in the experiments and is unaware of Asamode's own role in them. He does however, know a little more about what Marsade is doing with all his time when he isn't fighting in the Pridelands. Something we haven't witnessed yet.**

**A brief segment of Castella (Don't worry, she wasn't planning on torturing Sundar). She was a little curious, because she thought she recognised her and also wanted to see her for herself. **

**Then of course, we get the meat of the piece. Danyal, first being tortured and then having Marsade brutally extract the information from his mind. Its proof Marsade is becoming more powerful with his bloodmagic. He didn't do such a thing to Zira, on whom he relied on more conventional tactics. I am sorry if unsettled anyone, but hopefully, it was an enjoyable chapter.**

**Also… There is a slightly political spin on Mortread's initial acceptance of the torture. He isn't comfortable with the wording and doesn't consider his initial interrogation techniques to be torture. It's much harder to justify when you side with the victim.**

**Coming up soon, we'll revisit Kiava and Zuri. One of our friends might have discovered something… Although I suspect it will have some more tears. Until next time!**


	18. Chapter 17 - Kiava's Fate

**"Hello everyone. How is everyone today? Some wonderful responses to the latest chapter. Glad it was enjoyed, despite the very dark subject matter, critical response was good. So that's good news.**

* * *

**Author: **Well, you are in luck. No one can read minds. It's simply too complex to ever be expressed in a computer's language. So while you could easily create a probe to analyse the brains chemical composition, a program that could express that in meaningful words is practically impossible.

What is possible however, would be an exceptionally potent serum that would remove the inhibitions. In short, the person loses any will to lie, and forgets any reasons why he wouldn't answer your questions. Such serums are unreliable and not wholly effective at the moment. However, they are much more feasible.

You're hoping Marsade will be the next villain to suffer death? That would be interesting – however, he is still sticking around for now. However, I think I will let you into a secret: There is one Shai'tan alive right now, who will be dead by the time we reach Book V.

**Shadow: **It says a lot about him. But also bear in mind that the height of Danyal's torture he wasn't able to say anything. But if he could have spoken? He would have told them. He wouldn't have wanted too, but he wouldn't have been able to stop himself. It was too intense that point.

And if he were not believed? He would have said whatever he thought would make them stop. As people under torture often do…

You'll certainly see more of both Raeveal and his sister, Leviath. Raeveal is one of the Shai'tan who are closest to what Marsade is up too, except maybe for Asamode.

Mortread might not be the worst of the Shai'tan. But he has done terrible things.

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Of course Marsade isn't sane! That's why he thinks what he is doing is right. But, he is also past of the point of caring whether something is right. He has new, untold powers. Which of course, means screwing everyone who's ever screwed him. Mortread might be the most redeem_able_ of the Shai'tan, but that doesn't mean that he is redeemed yet. In fact, he might never be. The Shai'tans lack of knowledge concerning the Hyenas is their greatest weakness at this point.

**Zoey Rain: **Hey there new person! I know I spoke to you in a PM, so I'd just like to say once more welcome – and I am glad you've enjoyed the series so far. I must be doing something right, or you wouldn't have stuck around for five books.

You'll see more of Sundar and Danyal in the near future – though for now, here is something of Kiava and Asante.

**Ultimateblack: **Greetings! I have indeed read Inheritance. While I enjoyed the first two novels, I found the final volume to be disappointing. He backed himself into a corner, and the final battle, as well as the revelation of the Vault of Souls, was predictable and somewhat disappointing and anticlimactic.  
However, the Shai'tan are inspired by the Fantasy Trope of the collection of villains. The Foresworn, the Nazgul, the Forsaken, the Steel Inquisitors, and other "Mini-Boss" type villains in the fantasy genre.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Kiava's Fate**

* * *

Forthree days, Kiava and Bhagari's condition had continued to deteriorate as the venom burned its way through their bodies. They weren't the only ones to suffer. In that time half a dozen other hyena fighters who had fought against the serpents, who had been bitten by mambas or other snakes during the course of the battle died, as well as one who's rear legs can been crushed by a constrictor. Now, only Kiava and Bhagari still lingered and it was to Kiava and Bhagari that Asante now directed the entirety of her efforts. Her Shamanism, such that it was, was powerful but it was taking its toll on her. She was pale and hadn't slept for days. Her appetite to eat was gone entirely, though when pressed to eat by her mother, father and even a few comrades in some cases, concerned for her wellbeing, she would continue to eat several times what would normally have filled her. Her powers were not without their limits and her effort to keep Kiava and Bhagari alive was sucking her dry. She was gaunt, almost skeletal and her eyes were bloodshot and red.

Despite it all, she could feel them fading fast. Kiava was unconscious all of the time now, though he still twitched and turned in his sleep, writhing and occasionally emitting sounds of pain and fear. His unconsciousness was no shelter from his pain.

For Zuri, it was just as bad. Shenzi watched as she came each day, to his side, trying to do _something, _anything, to help, but she was as powerless as the others. Then, a day later, Ookai, Bruce and Timon had returned, their faces anguished and eyes guilty.

They had found nothing. Nothing in all of Timon's experience with bug – some venomous – was any assistance in this case. Snakes would be of no aid. They were scattered to the four winds and even if they possessed the inclination to help save the one who had so devastated their number, they risked capture and execution if they so much as showed their faces to the victors. In desperation, Banzai had turned to the vultures – one of the other powers in the Shadowlands. With the Pridelanders, the Hyena clans and the slave revolt, the Shai'tan's forces and those whom remained neutral were beginning to accept the simple fact that the Pridelands were still at war. As a result, the carrion birds were anxious to avoid taking a side and many refused to even speak to Banzai, but one sympathetic creature did confirm to Banzai that they had witnessed nothing strange abroad in the shadowlands. No strange lights, no more gateways and no more shadows. The only Shaman they would have access to in the near future, was Asante herself. Rafiki, was nowhere to be seen north of the Shadowlands and Marsade would certainly not heal him. They were on their own.

The news broke Zuri, who was inconsolable. The terrified young lioness now didn't leave Kiava's side.

And to Shenzi's dismay, Asante was just as devastated by Bhagari's impending demise.

She made her way out of the caverns and walked over the rocky entrance. Several hyena's bowed their heads to her as she passed, but it was a courtesy. Hyenas were not ones for ceremony. It grated on her at the best of times, but now it _really _got under her skin.

Outside of the caves, the moon's light illuminated the surrounding shadowlands for miles. She could even see the greener plains of the Pridelands from here and could make out the white shining spear of Carroscirr to the west, now mercifully free of wilddogs and others loyal to the Shai'tan. Even so, they hadn't yet moved to retake the ancestral citadel of the Hyena clans. Once it became apparent that it was undefended, some of the other forces within the Shadowlands would likely take control of the tower. The second most powerful hyena clan in the Shadowlands were the striped hyenas. The clan hadn't directly aligned with the Shai'tan, but a number of striped hyenas _were _active in and around Golgorath. A couple of packs at the most. Their matriarch didn't have a tight of a grip of her followers at Shenzi did. Or Perhaps the Black Hyenas would take it? The thought of Caliban's descendants taking control of Carroscirr made her sick in her stomach. Carroscirr wasn't a pretty place, but it was defensible and had been her home for many years.

Shenzi sighed. She had never felt so helpless.

* * *

Kiava felt the world twist and turn around him. His mind was slow now. As though his thoughts were having to swim through sludge instead of making their usual speed. At least the pain was duller now. Now he felt tired. Exhausted. He wanted to sleep, to rest, to just… let go. He wanted to fall.

"No."

He heard a voice say.

_No? _Why not? Why couldn't he sleep?

His vision twisted and turned once more. Then the world turned grey and he could feel himself falling.

"Not yet… Kiava."

* * *

Parallel to this world, in a world of mist and shadow and grey, two lions watched the events unfolding with anxious eyes. Once more, the twilight realm was host to the former Kings of the Pridelands. The ground around them was grey, greyer than the Shadowlands. Not just dark, but as if the colour had been cucked out of it. He could make out grasslands and savannah far away from him and he recognised it as an area from the Pridelands. But his attention was focused on the form of the lion cub that lay before him.

"Not yet Kiava." The male said. "Hold on… Son." He said.

Next to him, a lioness nuzzled his shoulder.

"Spirits… He is so big now… Is that a tuft or a mane? I can barely tell… He'll pull through this, Kovu… I am sure of it. He is so much stronger now." She said.

"But he is… drifting. Look… He is more solid in this place... His spirit is flittering between both worlds… I don't know… I don't know what is going to happen now." He said slowly. Kiara shook her head. "He's been so brave. Done so much. So much more than any of us could have done in his position." She said and he could hear the lump in her throat. Kovu slammed a clawed paw into the ground, his eyes wide and angry.

"It's all my fault!" He said harshly. Kiara looked up sharply. The cream coloured lioness looking startled. What was this?

"What?" She managed to exclaim. Kovu sighed.

"If I hadn't been such a failure of a father, such a failure of a mate and such a failure as a King, then this task would never have fallen to him. It shouldn't have been his responsibility, or his duty. The Shai'tan… The Imperium… the dark Shaman. It should never have ever come to him. I keep looking back at what happened… I keep seeing the Shai'tan break apart our pride. I was king for less than a year and everything we loved had been destroyed. The Pridelanders were right… I destroyed the Pridelands, like they always said I would." He said. Kiara sniffed.

"You didn't fail, Kovu. You saved our Son. You saved so many lives that night. You ruined the Shai'tan's plan and gave them the chance they needed to one day take back our home. Everything that Kiava and Zuri have achieved, has only been possible because of what you did." She told him firmly. Kovu was silent for a moment.

"If I hadn't… I don't know… He should never have been put in a position where… What were we thinking? Trusting this to a child? It's too much. I know better than anyone what having that much weight resting or you does to a person. I made… some bad choices…. Before and after I met you… I did everything I could to cope with the pressure Zira put on me… And I ended up hurting my friends, alienating my siblings… And we took the hopes and dreams of every one of the Great Kings and we forced them onto Kiava's shoulders and now… now…" He broke off.

"This isn't your fault…" Kiara said. Kovu's face twisted as Kiava cried out in pain in his sleep once more.

"Then whose fault is it? What kind of a father lets _this _happen to his son?" Kovu asked, his voice filled with anger, directed at himself. "I am no better than my mother… And when Kiava joins us here, he will hate me for I've done….

"You didn't know-"

"Is that any excuse?" Kiara nuzzled him once more.

"Kovu… Please listen to me… There is always hope… Always a chance." She told him. Kovu looked at her. "You… Are a wonderful lioness Kiara… I've never known anyone so…" He trailed off… but his face betrayed a terrible sadness. Kiara sighed.

"The mamba venom. Is there a cure?" She asked quietly. Kovu was silent.

"No. It's the most perfect poison in existence. It leaves no survivors. I grew up in the outlands, surrounded by scorpions, spiders, snake and all manner of deadly creatures. I never heard of a cure or treatment for what is tearing our cub apart… Oh Kiava I am so sorry…" He said. Kiara's expression didn't change.

"Taka thinks that there is hope… He vanished without a trace the day Kiava was bitten. I don't know what he's up to but if he has thought of something…"

"Taka's plotting a schemes were what created this mess in the first place! He's the one who put Kiava into the Shai'tan's gaze to begin with, rather than letting him grow up in peace, far from the Shai'tans' rule and I, the fool I am, let him convince _me_ as well! It isn't fair, Kiara… It's not…" He broke off. "Forgive me… But I can't watch this a moment longer…" And, in a brief pulse of light, Kovu vanished. Kiara sighed. The Kings off the past were as powerless as the mortals on the world below. Kiara looked up, at the starsin the sky above them. The darkness was growing now, devouring all in its path… And it seemed… nothing was left to stop it.

* * *

"So… What do think will happen now?" Hazan said to his companion. The Hyena was on patrol, around the edges of Skeleton canyon. His companion, another hyena by the name of Jabana, looked uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure… Ya'd think they'd tell us _something."_ He said. Hazan shrugged.

"You know the rumours though? Kiava was bitten… _by a mamba. _What does that mean for us?" He asked. Jabanna shook his head.

"Don't ask me. I leave that to the Matriarch. As should you. She'll think of something. She always does." He said. Hazan shook his head.

"I don't like it. It smells shifty to me… I mean… If Kiava dies… What do we do?"

"I know what I do. What I am told. Don't worry about it."

"Do we go to aid the Pridelands? I mean… Won't they see that as an attack? We've got no proof he ever came to us… The Shai'tan will never make peace with us now – not after what happened to Amun. Do we try to broker a new deal with Kiava's successor? He'll have a successor right? Right?" He said. Jabanna sighed.

"Hazan… Why don't we focus on our _present _problem? Or, I'll bash your brains out." He said slowly. Hazan paused. Fair point.

"Weren't we supposed to go back by Moonrise? Whats taking Vasa so long? He was supposed to bew back _yesterday_. This is his shift…" He grumbled. Jabanna sighed.

"And _that_ Hazan is the problem. The idiots probably got himself caught in a crag on his way back from the scouting Swamplands border and broken a leg. That's why we're out here in the first place, to find him. Don't you _ever _pay attention when you get orders?" Jabanna said irritably. Hazan blinked and looked guilty.

"Sorry… I've been… distracted. Bhagari's injured… Asante is completely out of it…"

"Hazan! Would you stop worrying about the commanders? They'll take care of each other, you know they will…" Jabanna said, but he winced ever as he said it. The Shadowpups took care of their own and they didn't have the fewest casualties of any of the packs for no reason. They took care of each other.

"Come on. Let's get over this-" He paused.  
"Hazan," He turned around. "Do you… smell something?" He said, his stomach twisting as a scent hit his nostrils. Hazan's eyes widened.  
"A…. A…. Oh…." He managed to splutter. Jabanna rolled his eyes.

"What is it _now?! _You look like you've seen a ghost!" He said irritably. Hazan, overcome with hysterical muteness, pointed frantically, in a manner reminiscent of Ed. Out of the darkness, two pale blue eyes made their way towards him. Jabaana swallowed.

"Actually." Came a voice. "_I _was the one who saw a ghost. And he gave very specific instructions. I apologise for delaying your friend." The lioness said, looking down at the Hyenas with an unreadable expression. From beside her, a slightly awkward looking Vasa stood. Hazan finally managed to cough and Jabaana stepped back in surprise.

Then a sudden yapping took their attention. And Vasa grimaced. Jabanna and Hazan turned in surprise and nodded their heads in respect.

"It's the High-Pack leader…" Hazan choked out. The lioness nodded.

"Yes… I can't say I expected to find Ed here… Although he recognised me… I couldn't make out what he was saying until I encountered Vasa who was able to translate for me… And what Ed told me confirmed what I been told. He also confirmed I wasn't losing my mind. The Kings love their little ironies…" She said flatly. Jabaana was stunned.

"Who… Who… Who _are_ you?" He asked.

"My name is Sarafina. Now, where the hell is my Great-Grandson?" the lioness said.

* * *

When Sarafina entered Skeleton Canyon, she caused quite a stir. It quickly emerged that Ed, had left the Canyon, the same as Ookai, Bruce and Timon and immediately travelled south After the days travel, he'd found himself at the borders of the swamplands, it was here that he had encountered Sarafina, the ancient lioness seemingly anxious not to be spotted by the Hyenas, uncertain of her own reception. She had after all, initially refused to travel with Kiava, fearing she would place the cubs in further danger merely with her presence. Something however had changed her mind.

When they arrived at the central cave, hewn into the side of the canyon, she knew it would be where she would find Kiava. It was, after all, the most heavily guarded, surrounded by almost a dozen hyenas. Sarafina couldn't help swallowing, looking entirely uncomfortable. That no surprise and she forced herself to control her breathing. The last time she had encountered this many Hyenas, it has been in the Pridelands and under Scar's tyrannical rule.

"That's close enough, lioness." A familiar voice said.

It was also the last time she had encountered _that _voice.

"Shenzi. You are looking well." Sarafina said, as the Hyena Matriarch emerged from the carvern. Before she could say another word, Zuri emerged from the cave as well and her eyes lit up when she saw her.

"Sarafina!" She said, looking surprised, but smiling. Sarafina nodded, but looked around pointedly at the surrounding hyenas. Zuri shook her head.

"Its alright, Shenzi. I know this lioness. It's Sarafina. We lived with her in the jungle… But what on earth are you doing here?" She turned to address Sarafina. Sarafina looked around.

"That." She said. "Is a discussion best left for private. You are not going to believe me." She said slowly. Shenzi looked at her hard for a moment, then she nodded her head.

"I don't believe you."

Shenzi said, after Sarafina had finished.

"Its true." Sarafina said. Banzai shook his head.

"No. I refuse to believe that spine, parasite would ever do such a thing. You're mad. Or hallucinating." He said firmly. Sarafina frowned. Zuri hesitated.

"It _is _possible. Kiava claimed something similar… And I think I might have experienced something similar." She said softly. Shenzi looked at Zuri in shock.

"You didn't feel like mentioning this sooner?" Shenzi said, sounding annoyed. Banzai however, looked angry.

"I don't believe you." He said again. Sarafina sighed.

* * *

"I know its difficult to believe." She said, once in private. After a short moment to rest herself, Sarafina had told them precisely why she had came.

"I received… something of an unwelcomed guest". She said. That had been one way of putting it. What she eventually told them, looking anxious, was that she had awoken in the middle of the night to the sound of a lion calling her name. A voice she had recognised instantly. The voice of Taka. Unable to take physical form, but present in the winds and rustling of the leaves around her, she could pick out his voice without a problem. Kiava, it told her, was in grave danger. She needed to go, to get up and head for the Swamplands. To cross the dangerous River Lord controlled territory and make her way into the Shadowlands. She had resisted at first. The Shai'tan controlled the Shadowlands now, she knew and even if she managed to avoid being spotted, it would be madness to risk the Swamplands at this hour. The River Lords would tear her to pieces in an instant for violating their sovereignty there. Taka had reassured her that she wouldn't have a problem crossing and that she'd be greeted in the Shadowlands.

Not quite what she had in mind.  
When she eventually crossed into the Shadowlands she had come across, in quick succession, Vasa and Ed. Vasa had been terrified of her and had suffered a broken leg from a fall (As Hazan and Jabanna had surmised) unable to run, he had frantically begged for his life before Ed had come to he aid, attracted by his shouts for help. She had recognised Ed and with Vasa to translate, Ed had confronted her reason for being there. All Sarafina had said, was that she was looking for Kiava and Ed, had chosen to take her at her word, reasoning that if she had intended them harm, she would have murdered Vasa while he was immobile. An observation that hadn't reassured Vasa in the slightest until they had spent a day travelling and encountered Hazan and Jabaana on the Shadow Plains.

It was a tall tale. And Banzai had trouble believing it.

"You mean to tell me, that it was _Scarface _who told you to come here? You spoke to a a dead Spirit and it was Scarface and you did what he told you?" Banzai said in astonishment. Shenzi shook her head, dismissing his concerns.

"Banzai, this is Sarafina we are talking about. The old bat would have jumped off a cliff if Scar told her to a couple of years ago – and I expect age hasn't done wonders for her senses." The Hyena matriarch said. Sarafina growled.

"What was _that?" _She asked, becoming annoyed.

"Enough." Zuri said angrily. Shenzi and Sarafina looked up at her guiltily. "Why would Scar send you here? Not that we aren't pleased to see you" She shot Shenzi a dark look, "But you timing isn't great." She said. Sarafina sighed.

"I am sorry. It's just… Scar told me that Kiava was in grave danger. And now I don't see him here… is he…?" Her voice trailed off, betraying her real fear that she had arrived too late.

"No." Banzai said and Sarafina followed them to the back of the cave where Kiava lay occasionally jerking and shaking, completely unconscious. Asante was next to him, her eyes occasionally aglow, with wisps of light surrounding them. They flickered out as Sarafina approached and blinked in surprise.

"Who is-?"

"Not now, Asante. How are Kiava and Bhagari?" Shenzi asked. Asante said nothing.

"He's slipping… We're running out of time. I almost felt him fade a few moments ago, but he struck out and clung on… We are losing him." She told them. Sarafina looked shocked.

"What has happened?" She asked. It was Zuri who answered.

"Kiava defeated Amun and his wilddog army – but Amun's Serpents got away. Kiava took command of the Clan and defeated them, but… but… he was bitten in the aftermath. A black mamba." Zuri said. Sarafina stepped back feeling as though she'd just been slapped. That venom had no cure. This was too much to take in at once. Kiava was now allied to the Hyenas? Did that mean he'd been successful? What had he promised them? He'd defeated Amun? Serpents? It was too much. Zuri however, didn't seem to notice her shock.

"If Scar sent you now, he must think you know something, or have something that will save Kiava?" Zuri suggested, tearing her eyes away from the unconscious Kiava. Sarafina shuddered.

"He did tell me to bring something… But I can't imagine why. I can't imagine what use it will be… But… I mentioned a long time ago. This grows in the outlands and in the swamplands border…" She said slowly. Then held out a paw, explaining her limping gait. There, partially crushed between her claws, were petals. Petals of a flower, its hue blood red. Shenzi leapt back, her eyes wide and Banzai pulled away.

"Do you know what that _is?!" _Banzai asked in panic. Sarafina nodded.

"Its _Hellshade_. You've seen the most lethal venom in the Pridelands. This is most lethal poison." Asante cursed.

"That's extremely dangerous – get that away from the King! That doesn't even bloom until the rain season, how you got it!"

"It grows on the banks of the Swamplands, at the edges of the wetlands. Scar showed it to me. He planned to use it against the River Lords, should they ever leave their territory, or ever again attack a Pridelander. When Tama, Tojo and Naga were killed by Sobek the Black at Trinities Point, Scar was enraged. Rafiki destroyed that monstrous crocodile in vengeance, but Scar wasn't pacified. He'd seen Rafiki use it to dull Tojo's pain, but it would have been lethal to Tama, who was pregnant. Rafiki could save them. Scar though, remembered the poison. He tried to gather enough of the stuff to pollute the River Lord's territory… If we couldn't have access to the River, the No one would. But he never got more than a few petals of the stuff – the flower is obscenely rare." She explained. Shenzi was staring at it in horror. "The poison rages through the victim's blood supply… Burning them from inside out… Its effects are immediate. Extremely quick.

"That's your plan?" Shenzi gasped. A _mercy killing_? Banzai growled, but Asante gasped.

"No…" She said slowly. "What did you say it does?" She gasped. Shenzi looked at her daughter.

"It… Burns its way through the blood supply, raising a high fever… the victim burns up from the inside…" She said. It was a greusom way to die. Asante was looking at it critically.

"And that's it?" She asked.

"Isn't it enough?" Banzai asked. Asante scowled at him.

"It doesn't infect the organs or anything? Tear apart the lungs?" Asante asked.

"No… It freezes all other senses, so all they feel is the burning." Sarafina told her. Asante stood up.

"Give it to Kiava and Bhagari." She said. Zuri's eyes widened.

"NO!" She said quickly. Asante's eyes flared once more, feeling suddenly bursting with power.

"I can do it!" She said. She turned to her family. They blinked in surprise, certainly uncertain.

"What-"

"The poison will burn through their blood… It will burn away everything, incinerating all trace of what was in their bodies, burning away the poison like ash in a flame. I can keep them alive… Their bodies will be purged with fire and with the poison ripped free, I don't need to heal them… I can give them the energy and their bodies will heal the rest by themselves!" She said suddenly excited. There was silence. Sarafina closed her eyes. _I hope you know what you are doing, Taka, _She thought and opened her claws.

"Wait." Zuri said. "Are you certain? What if… What if you fail? What if you become exhausted part way through? What if there is something either the Mamba venom, or the hellshade that we don't notice? What if… I don't know! What if you end up killing them?" Zuri asked, suddenly frightened. Asante hesitated.

"I won't." She said. "I promise. Trust me, Zuri." She said. Zuri hesitated. Then she nodded.

Moments later, Bhagari had dragged himself to the same cavern where Kiava now lay unconscious, himself fading in and out of focus as he did so, Asante supporting him. Zuri watched them both, looking apprehensive over the whole thing. Bruce and Ookai were there as well. Timon arrived last, expressing some surprise at seeing Sarafina but resisting his inclination to bombard her with questions. The situation was explained quickly and Timon nodded his head.

"That… Could work… given what we know about the poisons…? But we are running a huge risk here…" He said, letting out a sigh. "However briefly, he will be infected with both the venom and the poison… If he isn't strong enough, we could still lose him, no matter what you do." He warned them. Asante hesitated but nodded.

"If we do nothing, they're dead anyway." Asante said. Bhagari nodded weakly.

"I… I want to… risk it…" He said slowly. Asante nodded. Zuri looked at the hellshade they had and divided it in two, then taking one of the portions in her paws, lifted Kiava's head back and placed the poison in his throat. Bhagari took the rest, while they waited for Kiava to swallow. He coughed, briefly, but then took it. There was stillness as they waited. Then, after a few moments, Kiava began to convulse. Asante swore and Ookai and Zuri held Kiava down so that the young lion didn't injure himself. Asante's eyes lit up and the cavern was flooded with white light.

"_Now." _She said. "_Let's fix this once and for all!_" The air seemed to with luminous energy and the smell of mint leaves hit everyone's nostrils, as her shamanism reacted with the air. Kiava and Bhagari shuddered.

Bhagari grunted as the tendrils of Asante's power slammed into him, pouring through him a he were nothing. Within him, he felt the sapping power of the mamba venom jerk as it was suddenly hit by another force and an almighty burning sensation ripped through him. It was a very quick thing. While the mamba venom had built over days, he could feel the hellshade in him. He felt his temperature rise, his mouth growing dry. The air suddenly felt very close and the cavern claustrophobic. It was pressing all around him. His breath felt hot and uncomfortable. He jerked again, as flashes of pain wracked through him.

"Hold on Bhagari…." Asante said and the hyena nodded, grimacing through the pain that was now growing once more.

"Ugh… _Damn…" _He cursed and let out an involuntary scream. Asante flinched, and Timon looked concerned.

"What's happening?" Zuri asked, sounding panicked, as Timon swore.

"I am not sure… I wonder if – _Damn…" _He said, his eyes wide, as Asante felt more and more of her strength leave her.

"_What is it?" _She asked fiercely. Timon cursed.

"Its the Mamba venom… The hellshade is having some effect on it. Whatever it's doing, it's making their effects more extreme! The damage is accelerating, Asante can't counter it! It's burning them up faster than she can heal them!" he pointed out. It made sense. Some plants could be used to nullify the effects of some venoms. It made sense that some would have the opposite effect, amplifying the damage they did. Whatever it was doing, the pain must have become more intense, because Bhagari let out a groan, and Kiava's body began to convulse again. Then his eyes snapped open, and the cub let out a scream.

"AAARRRAHHH!" He burst out and Bhagari could barely retain a similar exclamation, the two beginning to shudder. Asante let out a gasp of air. It was taking far more of her than she had expected. More energy, more power, more of her strength. She couldn't hold them. She felt her limbs grown numb. Grinding her teeth she forced herself to keep going, to keep up the pressure. More and more tendrils of white smoke began to form around them, vaguely luminescent, and penetrating into both Kiava and Bhagari, linking all three of them in a web of energy, a spiral of light. The poison was burning up, but she was burning up faster. She felt as if she were being pulled in two directions at once. Part of her to Kiava, part of her to Bhagari, and it was tearing her apart. Shenzi was looking on in concern.

"Asante… Come on! I believe in you! You can do it!" She urged her. Bhagari roared in pain, his eyes wide and the pain sharpening his senses.

"It's okay Asante!" He said. "Leave me – Ugh – focus on the king! Focus on Kiava!" He said, groaning in agony. Asante ground her teeth, and around her the earth began to crack, the force of her magic beginning to strike at the earth.

"No." She said firmly, forcing the magic through. Kiava groaned, then, his eyes widened once more.

"Ugh… Asante!" he managed to gasp. Zuri tied to reach for him, but the light of Asante's shamanism held her back, though her eyes found his pleading.

"Asante… Stop! This is beyond you! You can't heal us both!" He said. Asante groaned.

"No! If I don't do this now, then I'll lose you forever! We couldn't wait any longer, you were both fading!" She protested. That was true. If she'd attempt to heal them one at a time, they risked dying in the meantime… But the toll it took on her was immense. Kiava shouted in pain, and the white light of Asante's magic began to burn through him further still, and they could see it power and its light burning through him now, spirals of white light evaporating of him like mist on water, pouring off his body, leaking through his eyes, the arcane and the poison merging together, with Asante pouring all her strength trying to tip the balance into the favour of the arcane.

"Leave me! You aren't strong enough to save us both! Keep this up and all three of us will die!" Kiava managed to protest, as he sank to his knees, joined a moment later by Bhagari. Both were sweating now. Around Asante, the majestic light began to dance, and crackle, distorting with power, becoming less like light, and more like lighting, sparking and bursting. Winds began to whirl around them, with Asante at the centre. She shouted, and shuddered, as if under some great weight.

"NO! I am _not _letting go for either of you! I _can _do this!" She shouted.

"_Asante…"_

"_NO!"  
"Asante!" The voice became more and more insistent, and although at first, Asante had thought it belonged to her mother, she noticed now, that it was not. It was some new voice, and it didn't seem to be coming from anywhere around her. She fell to her knees, and for a moment, the white light _that enveloped the party in the cave pulsed, threatening to fade, until she let out a cry.

"No…" She managed to muter. Perhaps, if she directed all of her power to one of either of Bhagari or Kiava, she could save them? But that would leave abandoning the other one to die? That was not a price she was willing to pay. Not now. The world around her began to flicker and pulse, burning now with such light that it encompassed all her vision.

"_Asante… You can do this…" _It came again.

"Who… _What_ are you?!" She was barely able to form the thoughts.

"_That doesn't matter, Asante, You have to listen to me! You are using so much power, it's too much, you can't control it! You risk fading into the void at this rate. You are burning through too much!"_

"I… Will NOT lose them! Whatever it takes!" And her voice was no longer carrying sound, merely the power of her thoughts. Around her, she saw the world beginning to fade away, until all that was present was herself, and Bhagari and Kiava, joined to her with her power.

"_I can help you! I can show you! You can do this, but you need to be precise, not throwing the power blindly! Let me show you…" _She said. It was a she. Asante howled, and Bhagari howled. Kiava roared. Their pain was one and the same now, linking them, united in their agony. Perhapes this was a mistake… She could feel them now, feel their pain, and it was immense! She put everything she had into fighting it off, every ounce of her power into the task. She couldn't fail.

"She can't do it… It's going to kill her! Break her free or she'll burn with them!" Shenzi decided. Zuri's eyes widened at the though. They couldn't stop now!

"No! If she pulls back now, she'll kill them! She's already given them the poison!" She said. Banzai's eyes narrowed though.

"If she doesn't, she'll die with them! Asante, pull back!" He demanded, reaching for his daughter, as Zuri leapt up, drawing her claws. Asante screamed.

"GET BACK!" She shouted, and lighting burst around her, throwing Shenzi, Zuri, Banzai and Timon backwards, and away from them. They faded from view, and the world became silent.

It was quiet. In front of her, the magic hung in the air as if frozen in time. Bhagari's expression of pain and panic frozen in place, Kiava's eyes, wide with agony unmoving. There was no breath, no movement, no nothing. Time stood still. Only Asante moved, her stomach heaving, panting. The air around her, shining with radiant white light becoming, she now realised, a pale grey distortion. The world was grey, without light or colour.

She let out a sigh.

What had happened?

"_Ah… You're power is so great… that you've come here. Welcome to the Twilight Realm… Asante…" _The same voice said. Asante turned her head, and saw the shape of something, but it was made of wispy white light, intangible and incorporeal, ghostly and unreal. She couldn't see its shape, although there was the beginnings of a shape there. The only colour was herself, the only light, white, the only sound her own breath and the only smell, mint leaves, stronger and more pungent than ever before.

Mists around her began to whirl and spin around her, and she was hit with visions and memories. Flashes of images she half recognised. She saw Carroscirr, her home. She saw her parents, her comrades. Bhagari, Hazan, Jabanna, all the others in her pack. She saw others, she recognised from her clan, young and old, fighters she had fought. It seemed to last an eternity. Memories and shadows of the past. She saw her father and her mother fighting the Shai'tan's forces. She saw herself as a cub. She saw her first hunt, both within the Shadowlands, hunting to the north, and the day that she was taken into the Pridelands to poach meat there.

She saw the first time her powers manifested – just a few days before Pride Rock fell. A raging storm inside her, winds and storms, and bolt of lightning. Gales and hurricanes, powers that hadn't been seen in the Pridelands for centuries.

Recent memories – of Kiava's arrival in the Shadowlands, his offer of alliance. The defeat of the Shai'tan Amun and his wilddogs, jackals, serpents.

So many images, visions and sights she saw. The world flashed around her, and suddenly she was surrounded by ghostly images of herself. Different ages, different forms. Some she seemed to recognise. Others, she couldn't place. A spectrum of emotions and feelings echoed around her. Fear, rage, despair, her happiness, her hunting _thrill. _  
_"It's all a part of you… A Part of who you are. They are all you, Asante. They make you a leader. A warrior. A hunter. They give you your values, your traits, everything that makes you who you are."_ The voice came again.

"Who are you?" Asante asked once more… the voice didn't answer. Then, the other aspects seemed to fade away, until she was left with one. The hyena before her was taller, older, and yet her features seemed frozen. Her eyes glowed with ethereal light, mists of white evaporated off her, her power held tightly in her paws, her power whirling around her.

"I… Is that… That's me?"

"_That _could _be you. But you fear it. You fear the Shaman you could be. This is the part of you that you reject. The part of you that your fear."_

"I fear nothing!"

"_No? You fear failure. You fear that you aren't strong enough. You fear these powers. Why else would you use them as you do? Augmenting your fighting skills, making yourself faster, stronger, but never using them against your foes. You trust your claws and your teeth, your muscles and your paws. Your eyes and your nose. _But you reject that gift that makes you something else_. Something more."_

"Don't be ridiculous-"

"_No? I am in here with you Asante! I know your heart! You are frightened by what could isolate you from those you love! Frightened by what makes you different!"_

"What?"

"_What do you love most of all, Asante? You love your comrades, the ones who fight alongside you! You fight for your family and your friends – you fight for the clan, for the pack. That is what you value. And you can't help but fear your powers… Because they separate you from your pack! They make you different… And you hate that, Asante."_

"What are you-"

"Princess_ Asante…"_

"Don't call me –"

"_Why not? Because you like to pretend that you aren't any different from your pack mates! You like to pretend that you are one of them. Instead of something else!"_

"Why are you… what does it matter to you!?" Asante snapped, looking around.

"_It matters because you are acting blindly with your powers. You are flooding them with power, but you aren't using it! I can help you control them… but only when you accept them as a part of who are. Accept them as a part of yourself. Accept the power of the! Take the gift that was left to you, and inherit the power of a Shaman! If you don't, Bhagari and Kiava will die."_

Asante was quiet for a moment. Maybe she – whoever she was – was right. Maybe she was running from it. But she couldn't focus on that now. Now wasn't the time for self-introspection! Her friends were dying! They needed help, not her! She began to growl in anger, but then her rage subsided.

"What… What do I do?" She asked.

She felt compassion and calm in the voice now.

"_I can guide you but you must listen to me. Stop fighting the power."_

"But…"

"_Stop resisting it. Stop trying to control it. You are the magic's wielder, not its master. Inhale. Let it move through you. Ride the storm. Follow it, but gently guide it. Let its winds flow, and put that inside you. Accept it. Accept yourself."_

"Those are just words!" Asante said in impatience.

"_Yes. They are just words. You need to make them action. Make them something to live by."_ The voice said.

Asante tried. She felt something in her shift. She needed to save her friends. She needed to save Bhagari. She needed to save Kiava. They were burning up. Dying of a poison that she had inflicted upon them! She had to be strong enough. She couldn't fail them. She couldn't let them down. That was hard. She wanted to fight the power, to force it to move how she wanted. She had to! She couldn't afford not to, not when the safety of her friends was at stake.

"_Trust yourself. Trust your own power, Asante. I believe in you. You were given this power for a reason."_ The voice came again.

And the winds suddenly subsided. And Asante was the one in control. She wasn't fighting the winds. She was the winds. She felt the light around her explode in to white light.

"_Well done… Asante…"_

And the Twilight realm vanished.

And the white, misty world that was her heart, melted away before her eyes.

And the manifestations and aspects she saw faded.

The white twilight disappeared from view and she was back in her own body, with only the faint words of that voice ringing in her ears. She gave a loud scream, as she felt another rush of power leave her.

* * *

And she was back in cavern, with Bagahri and Kiava before her, dying of their injuries. _No. _This was not something she would allow. Asante gave a howl, and the power surged for one final time within her.

Bhagari screamed again. Kiava screamed again.

Fire seemed to leap from them.

As Kiava's mouth opened, and his eyes burst open, smoke seemed to coil from his mouth. Black and dirty, and glowing with red light. Fire and shadow, entwined together in a deadly embrace, mamba venom and hellshade burning together. It was blasted with shamanic energy, turned to its ethereal essence, transmuted into raw power. Ejected from their bodies, forced out like oil on water, it burned violently and it seared them as it passed through. Then out was ripped out of them, coiling and twisting seemingly sentient. It hissed and burned as it moved. It wasn't mere chemical toxins any longer. It was charged with shamanic energies, metamorphed into something that glowed with magical shamanic light. It was hateful and disgusting. It repelled Asante, who shouted a bark and it burnt with a radiant white light.

Bhagari and Kiava gave another loud cry as the last vestiges and traces of the toxin within them burnt up with them.

Then they fell silent and collapsed to the ground. The combined venoms coiled together and coalesced before her, coming together into a tight sphere. Then, she crushed her paw tight, and the ball of deadly poison collapsed into a sphere no larger than her eye. It glowed brightly as it was burnt with lightning. It crackled around it, and the air smelled of something burnt and dead. Then, it winked out, vaporised, and scattered to the winds. Shenzi for a moment wondered if the poison would affect them in the air, but Asante had been thorough. So scorched by her power was the toxin, that it was blasted apart, scattered into traces so minute and so tiny, no one would ever feel its trace again.

Bhagari let out a sigh, and collapsed into unconsciousness. Kiava steadied himself for a moment, as Zuri rushed to him, able to approach him now that shamanics no longer filled the air. He made eye contact with Asante.

"Thank you… Asante…" He managed to gasp, then fell to ground, as Zuri caught him, out cold before he hit the ground.

Asante swayed on her feet.

"How… How was that, for a Hyena?" She asked. And then she also fell to ground, her energy spent. Her parents rushed to her.

Sarafina blinked. Then she shook her head. She had seen some things in her life… but this took everything. Ookai, Timon and Bruce stood the side, looking relieved, unable to process what they had witnessed.

Despite it all, Kiava was alive. The King of the Pridelands had cheated death once more. He had survived his fate.

* * *

**AN:**

**Some brief look at the Twilight realm and Kovu and Kiara, keeping an eye on their son from there.**

**Also, Sarafina has made her reappearance! This was due for a long time, but she has re-joined Kiava now, that it is safe for her to travel the Shadowlands without being killed by the Hyena patrols. Thank you Scar for telling her that!**

**And she brought with her, something called hellshade!  
this isn't a Deuce Ex-Machina, it was mentioned way way back in the Judgement, what the plant does. It will purge the blood of the poison. Of course, it also kills the person – but it solve Asante's problem of not knowing what the venom is doing to their bodies. The hellshade would have cleaned out the mamba venom, and left a clear trace of what needed healing.**

**Of course, what they couldn't have known about was the chemical reaction between the two poisons, amplifying the power of them both. It's a bit of handwavium there, but never mind that.  
**

**Asante was nearly overwhelmed, but – like Sundar before her – her powers awakened fully, like Sundar way back in the Battle of the Glade.**

**Some explanation as to how Asante found herself in the twilight realm. She wasn't really there – only her spirit was there. Her body was back on the earth. What she experienced was something akin to what Sundar experienced, way back in the battle of the Glad. **

**There is a brief timeskip of ****_three _****days here. When we return to Sundar and Danyal, it will be back ****_before _****that skip, jumping around somewhat. It was either that, or have a huge cluster of chapters around one set of characters, followed by another and I wanted to mix things up a little.**

**Anyway, that's it here.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.  
**

**Also, a little piece of news. I have a great love of musicals, as some of you will know. Though I have been thinking, what songs from musicals would easily fit with characters from Legacies…  
To start with?**

**Façade (Reprise #2) – From Jekyll and Hyde, Full Album. It fits "The Pits of Golgorath", exceptionally, as it is experienced by Sara, Inti, Zira, Koron and Danyal.**

**The original, non-reprise version of Façade also fits the Imperium in general as well, (or rather, the Asiatic Imperial. The idea that the original Tiger-Imperium was forced to suppress their true, animalistic selves and that Ben-Kai-Ra and the Shai'tan have simply unleashed their true selves, is pretty accurate. I highly suggest that you check it out… Imagine its being sung by Inti, Sara and Koron. In fact – check out the Album. Just make sure that – apart from the reprises – it's the original version. Not the later version.**


	19. Chapter 18 - A Tale of Five Shaman I

**"Hello again all! Why what a marvellous number of reviews! I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter done. For reasons that will become apparent, I tried to get a lot done in this chapter. So much so that it has radically affected the pacing and required a lot of work to get it going… So hopefully, this chapter will make up for the wait? Anyway, here are the review responses:**

**Ultimateblack: **Hmm. You've cottoned onto something there with the Shaman. Well done. Stay alert.

I think I see what you mean with the Grammar… I'll get that fixed when I can. Good spot. As for forgetting Hellshade, I wouldn't worry too much. Though you might want to check out the rerelease when it's done. Because my writings improved so much since that book, I intend to rewrite parts of Judgement in a clearer style – at the same time getting a proper edit done. In fact, between this book and the final book, all of Legacies shall be rereleased – as there are parts of Flood and Tremors I am unhappy with now as well. Perhaps, when this happens, you will want to reread Judgement? Just a thought.

**Author: **Ah. That's a very good question. The answer is: None of the above. Nor is it the same voice that spoke to Sundar – though the two are related. Hopefully you'll be able to figure it out.

As for publishing a real novel… It's a thought. I'd love to someday. I actually have a few notes for a fantasy novel, involving magic and dragons. It also features a group of people not unlike the Outsiders. Rebels – which are the bad guys (Traditionally in Fantasy and SciFi, Rebbelions are the good guys fighting against some sort of evil empire.) and yes, there is a romeo and Juliet style subplot where there is a meeting of two people from the opposing sides – but that story is thousands of years old. Maybe one say I'll actually finish the blasted thing. In the mean time, my attentions are stuck between this, video gaming, and my studies.

**Lord of Beef Dip: **

You are perceptive with your thoughts on the Imperium. It is a larger empire. Remember though, it is not a single country – but a collection of conquered countries. Think about the Middle East. Can you ever imagine the countries of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria ever existing a single country? The sectarianism there prevents it. And yet, for most of human history they were part of a single empire – whether it be the under the might of Britain or Rome, Persia or the Ottamon Empire – born of the Islamic Empire, or ancient Assyria, or Babylon, or even the Primordial rule of Akkad – this planet's first Empire. Akkad is long since lost, even its foundations are dust. But the Imperium is much like this. It can command the legions of whole continents, true, but it must be _commanded. _It will not, cannot, act without orders. And that is a key weakness. The Shai'tan's paranoia and list for power have meant that the empire is not self-sufficient. And Like the fracturing of the Ottamon Empire, its independent regions all have their own interest, values, and wants.

Glad you enjoyed the chapter!  
And as for other Hyena Clans… Stay tuned for the next chapter!

**Shadow: **Ahem… Well… You say that. I did actually consider – at different points – killing one or both of the characters. A shock I know. But as I've said, no character is safe! Glad you enjoyed it!

**Almondbutter: **Thank you for the kind words! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!

**SandyDragon: **Good to see you again! I wondered where you had gotten too. Not to worry. The inconveniences of life get to us all… Check out how long it took to get this chapter up!

Glad you liked it! I know what you mean with the foreshadowing… Hopefully, the other twists and turns I have planned have been forshadowed a little better. I hope you enjoy the next chapter! Thanks again.

**LoveNeverDies: **Oh dear… I hope this isn't too complicated! If I can answer any questions, just pass me a PM! Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 18: A Tale of Five Shaman I**

* * *

Castella wasn't in a good mood by the time Mortread emerged from the termite mound where the male lion was being held, but that didn't stop her from almost rushing to Mortread once he did. His expression was unreadable and she had barely opened her mouth before both she and he moved out of the way to allow a pack of dogs to move past her, dragging something between them in their jaws. She felt her mouth drop open when she saw what it was. Or rather _who_.

"What on earth did you _do _to him?" She exclaimed, looking slightly shocked. There were serious wounds all over him, the most prominent of which was a deep stab wound between his shoulder blades behind his neck. There was a lot of blood and it left a slick behind him as he was dragged away. Mortread shook his head. Behind him, the Orangutan, Marsade emerged and gave a cruel grin as he eyed his handiwork. Without looking at her, he held up his dagger, still wet with blood. He licked it clean, its metal tang sending thrills though him. Castella looked horrified.

"Don't ask." Mortread told her. "Suffice to say that we know where the rebels' dens are, though we'll need to move quickly before they move." He said. Castella swallowed, looking away from the unconscious form of Danyal. The wilddogs were struggling to move his sheer size by themselves. He was almost lifeless, but for a very faint rise and fall of his chest. One of the dogs grunted in frustration. Castella sighed.

"Then go and assemble the packs. I shall deal with… this…" She said. She moved past the wilddogs who shrank back at her approach. Bending over, she managed to get her neck under one of Danyal's limbs and hauled his body onto her back with a grunt. Mortread nodded.

"Put him with the Shaman lioness… Marsade wants to know if she's strong enough to heal him." He said. Castella nodded. Marsade moved with her, but made no attempt to help carry the weight. Instead he watched as she carried the young lion, despite being able to levitate the body with a flick of his finger. Without watching them, Mortread vanished into the second of the towers shaking his head. Presumably to report this information to Raeveal and to receive reinforcements in return. Castella made a mental note to speak to him later. Perhaps later this evening? Something was troubling him and she knew how to ease away his troubles. For now though, she moved away, grunting as she did so.

* * *

Sundar paced up and down in the enclosed area where she was being kept. She swallowed, trying to keep her emotions under control. She was in the Outlands. That much was clear. She tried to remember what Danyal had told her about the Outlands in their quiet conversations back among the rebels. Danyal had been eager to share the history of his land with her and Sundar had been both curious and resigned to fact that the Pridelands were now her home and so had listened.

The Outlands.

The blasted red lands were a desolate wasteland, with few sources of water and very little in the way of vegetation. Hot and dry, though not to the same degree as the Great Desert, it was not a place where you want to live without shelter. Danyal had lived there for many months with his mother as a pair of rouges – before returning to the Pridelands after his mother sustained fatal injuries. So it _was_ possible to survive out here. Which meant that escape could still be an option. If they could break free of the Shai'tan's forces, then they might be able to survive in the wastes.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the scent of blood and the sound of grunting. Crouching into a defensive position, she could feel her muscles tense. Then a familiar scent hit her.

"Danyal!" She rushed forwards and a heavy growl sent her leaping back as the mighty form of a tigress entered.

"Get back!" She growled to her and Sundar flinched backwards out of reflex. It was the tigress who had come to Mortread's aid. She stepped away and the tigress twisted, depositing something with a thud. Sundar felt her stomach twist when she saw what. Behind her, the ape Marsade stood, his eyes watching, presumably in case she tried to use her powers against them.

"Danyal!" She said, ignoring her fear and moving forward. She looked aghast at his injuries. "What did you do to him? Great spirits… Danyal… Oh please, no…" For one dreadful moment, she feared he was dead, but the young lion was still breathing. He was alive.

"Special to you is he?" Castella asked her. "If he is, I'd suggest you do something about it. You are a Shaman after all aren't you?" She said, stepping backwards as Sundar glowered up at her, her eyes filled with hatred. Then they began to glow with a soft blue light and mists began to whirl around her and flowed into Danyal. She felt the familiar warmth within her, tinged with desperation.

Castella looked down at her, fascinated. She had never seen another like Marsade and to see it now enthralled her. How could one simply _become_ a Shaman? To gain the powers she saw Sundar wielding? She watched as the blood around Danyal began to darken and to slow in its flowing. She saw his breathing stabilise and although he remained unconscious, he no longer writhed in invisible agony. Curious. The magnitude of Sundar's power wasn't lost upon her. For a moment, a twitch of anxiety hit her as she forced herself to consider whether Sundar could fight her way out of her imprisonment? But of course, that would involve leaving Danyal behind. And it was clear from Sundar's tormented expression as she went to Danyal's aid that this was not going to happen.

"I guess he is important to you after all. How interesting." She said, thoughtfully.

"Just… leave him alone… You know that he isn't Kiava. You don't need to hurt him anymore…" Sundar said, almost pleading. Castella was impassive, but Marsade gave a delighted grin.

"Oh… But I _will_, Sundar_. _And you know I will too_._" He said, Sundar's face betrayed terrible anguish at that.

"Why? _Spirits, why? _ You're evil…" She said. Marsade shrugged.

"Why Sundar? Because of you… Because of what you are." He laughed at her expression. "Ooooh…" He gave a wicked smile. "I've been inside his head, Sundar… I know what he means to you and what you mean to him. I'd blush if it were me! The _things_ he thinks in there! I've seen his dreams, his hopes. His desires. Should I tell you what he wants most of all in this world?" He laughed at her reaction. "Ah. Perhaps not?" He leaned in close. "I will hurt him, Sundar… I will keep on hurting him. I will hurt him until he breaks. I will hurt him long after he's told me everything he can. I will make him into a mirror of the _Oracle_. I'll do it for the practice. I'll do it for the fun of it. I'll do it for revenge upon Rafiki. But mostly, Sundar, I'll do it because of how _intoxicated _by you, he is." He leaned in closer, so close she could feel his breath on her face. "I'll do it, because each time I break him apart, you will spend more and more of your power putting him back together. Because every wound I open, _you _will seal and every hurt I inflict, you will try to mend. I will hurt him, Sundar and by doing so, I will bind _you_. Because I _really _don't want to have to kill you. But I need you under control. I would never risk such a _valuable _weapon." His eyes were looking her up and down now, eying her. Like a slab of meat. His mind was racing. Mortread would neverallow himself to be used to produce a Liger… He would need to think of some plausible reason summon Asamode here for that. Or perhaps he could begin to involve Raveal into his more… diverse experiments? Castella glanced at him. So that was how he intended to keep Sundar here. It answered her fears at having an enraged shaman on the loose.

Sundar though stared at him, her eyes filled with poison. She let out a scream and light flashed, ice lurching towards him, piercing, spearing at him. His eyes widened a fraction and he span out of the way, conjuring his two staffs into being and bringing them together. Blasts of air and frigid winds struck at Sundar at once and she fell to the ground. Her own power melted away. He gave a laugh at her impotence.

"Really Sundar… I should be more careful… I wouldn't want to wastemy power. You don't know what you might need it for…" And with a jerking motion, a scythe of air slashed towards her, skimming past her and impaling itself into Danyal's unconscious form. He gave a flinch as blood welled and another wound burst into crimson existence on him. Castella flinched and Sundar gave a cry, her power winking out as she turned her attention to Danyal.

"DON'T!" She shouted. Marsade cackled.

"You're a monster!" She said. The Orangutan gave no response.

"Oh Sundar… I am not the one keeping dear young _Danyal_ alive in a tortured existence. If I am a monster, what does that make _you_? Until next time, your highness. We'll be seeing a lot of each other." He send. Then, levitating some feet from the ground, disappeared without another word. Castella stood therefore another moment, staring at the young lioness. After a moment, she swallowed.

"Will you be needing anything? Herbs? Some other reagents? I am not familiar with Shamanism…" She said carefully. Sundar could have spat at her.

"Just go. Get out of here." She said. Castella made no motion.

"I merely offered assistance. I have no wish to see either of you die." Her expression hardened "I'd have expected a little more in the way of curtesy from an asiatic lioness…" She frowned at her. "You are an asiatic, aren't you?" She said looking at her closely. She nodded. Yes, the traits were all there. Difficult to see, but not invisible. They differentiated her from the African lionesses. "Marsade called you _Highness. _He's seen inside Danyal's mind. Why does he call you that?" She asked. Sundar glared at her, feeling the despair creep in around her.

"Will you torture me if I refuse to answer?" She said, bitterness leaking into her voice. Castella's expression didn't change. So she shook her head, finally giving up.

"My father's name is Lukaan, King Malaki's brother. Asiatic King of the lands between the Yazani River and the Banskai forests. He was sworn to Emperor Shan-Yi." She said, lifting her eyes. Castella's expression softened.

"Ah… Lukaan… I remember him. His fur was very distinctive. A rare condition, to be born with fur the colour of snow. And yet, so very like his older brother in all other regards. I met Malaki, the day my father became heir to the Imperium. I was very young then. I would never have imagined then that so much could have changed. Yet here we are." She said. Sundar ran her paws over Danyal's back, stemming the wounds one by one and feeling only cold anger now, mixed with her own fear and her loss.

"Well, I am certain he didn't imagine back then that Prince _Kai_ would turn into a murderous psychopath… I guess we're all destined to be disappointed." She said. Castella's expression hardened. She drew her claws.

"I could cut you to ribbons, _Princess."_

"_Then why don't you?" _Sundar challenged her. Castella snorted, but didn't respond.

"Malaki died a traitor's death. My father would have been glad to have him at his side. Instead, he rallied the lion prides against their rightful ruler. He saw to his own destruction. I don't delight in it, but I don't mourn him."

"He rallied the Lion Kings of Asiatica, because he knew that Kai murdered his own father in cold blood." Sundar told her. Castella shrugged.

"And even if that lie were true? Ben-Kai-Ra was still his sole heir. Even he did defeat my Grandfather, he would _still _be heir. Malaki committed high treason in his old Kingdoms are _dead _because of it_. _Only the Imperium is left. He deserved to die for actions. It seems harsh but there is no place for weakness in the Imperium. Strength to rule, to take what is yours… That is what lets the Imperium survive." Castella said. It was only afterwards that she noticed she had quoted her father. Sundar didn't reply at once. Instead, she turned away.

"Does it ever keep you awake at night?"

"Does what?"

"A cold creeping feeling? A sickening in your stomach? That maybe they _didn't_ deserve what your father did to them?"

"They did."

"And if they didn't? Maybe your father really _is_ a deranged monster, who delights in torture and death? Where is the strength in cold murder? Where is the passion in cruelty? Where is the freedom in torture? You Shai'tan are all the same. You take what is yours in the name of you own freedom, while crushing everyone else. Of course… You let your passions guide you. But what if those passions are just a way of rationalising your own _madness?"_

"What are you-"

"No one else takes passion in pain! No one else slaughters hundreds for their weakness and calls them weak for dying. Just you. Just the Shai'tan… Doesn't it bother you that maybe one Shai'tan's passions are to others merely acts of insanity…?"

"What are you saying?"

"I am just asking a question, _Princess Castella-Ra, _what if the Shai'tan are just monsters?"

"Some of them are evil. Not all of them." Castella said firmly. Sundar gave a heartless smile.

"Maybe none of you are evil… Just twisted? Just… mad. Guided only by instinct… nothing more than animals. What if you are _nothing?_" She said. Castella growled and swiped out with a claw. Sundar gasped in pain as three lines of blood burst into being on her cheek, stumbling back. The cuts weren't deep, but Castella was fast, faster than she could have moved and the blood splashed on the walls of the cavern.

"In that case _nothing _just hurt you. And there is nothing stopping you from leaving." Castella said. Her gaze dropped to Danyal for a brief moment. Then she spat on ground and turned away, leaving the cavern without another word to the traitor's daughter.

* * *

She glanced at the wilddog on guard as she left.

"If she tries to escape, kill the male. If she gives you any trouble, _hurt _him instead." She said, anger boiling within her.

"What-"

"Use your imagination! You've got powerful jaws. See if her gift is strong enough to regrow his paw-tips." She said with uncharacteristic viciousness, clearly shaken. The wilddog blinked. She looking back at Sundar. With a satisfied growl, she was sure that she understood the message. It was unlikely that the wilddogs would receive any trouble from either lions any time soon.

* * *

Danyal shuddered, his eyes opening in a panic. The last thing he remembered was debilitating pain and then Marsade had struck at him with his mind… he recalled the sensation, the peculiar lash of agony across his thoughts and then something had changed. A sudden warmth within himself, like a tiny tongue of flame within him. The pain was gone now. He looked around. He could feel the cool of grass beneath his paws. That wasn't right. The Outlands were a barren wasteland, a desolate blast of red sand and dry air, devoid of life. Water was a precious resource and meat was rare. The sun was high in the sky above him, perhaps about midday, but the ground was unmistakably savannah.

"Am I back in the Pridelands?" he wondered aloud. The temperature was about right, but he couldn't see Pride Rock anywhere on the horizon. He swallowed. Where was Sundar? There was no sign of her. In fact, there was no sign of anyone. No wilddogs, no Shai'tan. Marsade was nowhere to be seen. There were no guards. He crawled to his feet, anxious, fearing some trap. They wouldn't have just left him here without guard, surely? Yet there was no sign of anyone. He sniffed the air slowly, his ears twitching. Nothing. There was no scent in the air. He was completely alone. He began to move his way across the savannah. There had to be an explanation.

The grass was green and tall and here and there the foliage would become denser, crops of trees and bushes forming. He could hear birds and here and there he could see them high above him.

"Marsade – Get back here!" He heard a voice cry. Danyal imminently pressed himself flat to the ground and within a few moments, his tormenter came flying into view. The Orangutan leapt high into the air, swinging from the trees and hauling himself high into the trees as he did so. Danyal didn't move, but swallowed at the shameful spike or fear that leapt within him. Behind the orangutan, the unmistakable shapes to two felines came. Expecting to see Mortread and Castella-Ra any moment, he prepared to dart away, trusting in his speed, rather than his strength. He hesitated though. The voices were unusually accented, not voices he recognized. They continued to call for Marsade and Danyal finally risked a look, staring through the grass.

_Lions?! _He almost choked on his own breath.

He didn't recognize them. They were powerful creatures, both of bronze fur and dark brown manes. They're features were similar. Clearly related, perhaps brothers? Though one was the older by a good few seasons. Danyal could hardly watch. He knew that any moment now, Marsade would turn and unleash hellfire upon the unknowing creatures. They would be incinerated in seconds. That, or Marsane would simply tear them apart with his mind. Without another Shaman there to counter him, there was nothing to stop Marsade unleashing his entire shamanic arsenal against them. The result would be devastating. He looked away. And as a result, was completely unprepared for Marsade's response.

"Go away Kucha. For the love of the Kings you'll lead them both _here._"

"Is that so bad? They only wanted to see you."

"Ooh I am sure that's what they _said. _In reality they want to lecture me on the principles of harmonic shamanic intervention, or some other such _nonsense_. Tell them I am not here. Tell them both that I left last century." Marsade said.

"Jino… Why on earth do you think he's being so unreasonable?" The younger lion asked. The older shrugged.

"Kucha the reason is perfectly simple: I do not wish to be reasonable. You have no idea what she is like!"

"Marsade! They are your family."

"Right. Sorry." And with that, the Orangutan lowered himself down from the tree and it was then that Danyal got his second surprise. The mutilated arm that was blasted apart by his previous duel with Rafiki was restored. So too were the patches of skin that were blackened and broken by their shamanic flames and forces. The greying flecks of hair were gone and his eyes were not cold and harsh as they had been. So stunned was Danyal by this apparent transformation, that he almost forgot to dive for cover. Marsade simply shrugged and walked back the way he had come – on foot, without levitating himself around as he had taken to doing with his new power.

Something was wrong. Danyal inhaled the air as he thought. There was still no scent. Neither Marsade, nor either of the lions who seemed perfectly at ease in his company, gave of any scent or smell. The hideous sulphuric odor that clung to Marsade was simple not there.

It appeared that they could not smell him either, for neither the lions nor the Shaman seemed to have picked out his scent. The experience was peculiar. For a moment, Danyal shook himself. He should go. Find Sundar and try to escape. He hesitated. But there was a problem. He had no idea where Sundar was. Presumably, she was back in the Outlands, unless she had been moved here with him. And if she _had _been moved with him, Masade might know where she was. Sighing partially at what he knew was his own recklessness, he turned around an, still keeping close to the ground anxious to avoid detection and he began to stalk Marsade, following them at a short distance. He couldn't leave Sundar behind, the very thought of it was terrible.

They travelled a short distance and Danyal flinched at the sound of more voices. When they came across a small outcrop of Rocks. It was a couple of meters high. It was unmistakably a lion den and sunning themselves outside were two lionesses. He didn't recognize any of them, or the den in which they lived. In fact, the more time he spent here, the less certain he was that this was indeed the Pridelands. It could be anywhere in the Imperium. In fact, given the lions apparent loyalty to Marsade, it was clearly somewhere else entirely. What Pridelander would ever ally with that monster?

* * *

Jino and Kucha lead the way and were imminently greeted by excited shouts. One cub rushed up to Jino, who was obviously his father.

"Dad! Did you find him? They said they'd be here by midday and that's soon!"

"Don't worry Kono we found our Shaman… he simply isn't anxious to see old friends again particularly soon."

"Why not? Aren't they supposed to be like you, Marsade?" The cub asked. Marsade smiled.

"Oh very much like me. Too like me even… Except they are better at following the rules."

"You mean like when you do the trick? Do the trick Marsade!" He said. Marsade smirked fondly and held out the palm of his hand. After a moment, a warm glow began to form there and it spluttered into life. It was a ball of flame, shifting and twisting as it did. The cub giggled as it split and became something else. It was a butterfly! With delicate wings of flame, the shadows and light of the flame twisting creating a myriad of patterns that flickered on its wings, more beautiful and alive then any butterfly or moth that Danyal had ever seen. Its eyes were two brilliant points of light, like sparks and as it fluttered, tiny particles of ash lit up and flared as they fell from its wings. It fluttered around the excitable cub, who was clearly resisting the temptation to swat at the creature as cubs often did, though also wary of its burning heat. Then, it whizzed around and hit a tree, flickering out as it did so. The cub shouted in disappointment, but Marsade was distracted. His eyes were fixed on a spot a few feet to his right and for a horrible moment Danyal thought he had been spotted. Then, the savannah parted and two more lionesses made their way through, leading the way for two more creatures. A gibbon and mandrill. Danyal stared in Shock, as Rafiki entered the den. That was impossible. He look on in stunned silence as the mandrill looked around at the small pride of lions, his gaze settling on Marsade. The gibbon spoke first, and Danyal looked on in mute surprise.

"Well Marsade. It's been some time." With that the gibbon shuffled over to the taller ape and embraced her old friend. Marsade smiled. Then also extended an arm to Rafiki, who grasped it in greeting. A look passed between them for a moment and Rafiki smiled.

"Hello old friend. It's good to see you at long last." He said. Marsade rolled his eyes. There was no avoiding it now. So instead of fighting it, he simply returned the greeting and nodded. Around them, the lion Pride began to gather and several of the lions came closer to meet the new guest.

"And you, friend. Hello Margane." He said, addressing the second Shaman as well.

Danyal started as one came from behind him. He let out a gasp of panic as one starred straight at him! And then it moved right through him, rippling only slightly as she passed clean through him like a stone through water. He shuddered at the sight of it, though he felt nothing. He turned around in shock, and moved closer. True enough, not one of them, even the Shaman seemed to see him or show any signs of being aware of his presence. Slowly the thought dawned on him, and Marsade's words came back to him. He recalled Sundar telling him, how, in the Battle of the Glade, she had experienced strange visions. Memories and the like. But had described it as _really being there. _Perhaps, this was something similar? This was no memory of his… Marsade's arm was restored and he seemed to be friendly with Rafiki. And Hadn't Rafiki and Yessen spoken of a Margane? A fellow Shaman whom Marsade had murdered and even now wielded her staff? He recognized his, in her possession.

Was it possible that what he saw was some event of the past? But if so, who's memory? And how long ago?

The only way to know would be to listen for himself.

Glancing around, Marsade cleared his throat.

"Margane, Rafiki, please allow me to introduce his majesty King Jino and his Queen Neema." Marsade said. Both the Shaman bowed their heads in respect. Marsade turned to his companions.

"Your majesties, these are Margane and Rafiki, Shaman of my order." He said. The two lions smiled.

"It is good to meet you. Any friend of Marsade is a friend to us." Neema said and the king nodded. Jino shook his head in amazement.

"Three Shaman in one place. Such a thing hasn't happened for generations." He said aloud. Marsade gave a smirk.

"Come on Jino, grant me some dignity… You're making me feel old." He turned to his comrades.

Rafiki and Margane sat down on the grass, Rafiki impaling his staff into the ground and leaning against it. His eyes were bright and mischievous.

"So you got our message then?" He asked. Marsade snorted, but it was Jino who answered.

"Got it? Neema nearly swallowed the poor thing! You need to think more carefully about sending hornbills out like that." He said. Rafiki winced.

"Ah… Yes. I hadn't thought of that." He admitted.

"At any rate, it managed to track down the right lion pride and give your message… That you were in the area. Even so, all he told me was that you were seeking me out. I have to say, I hadn't expected such a thing. Does this mean I've done something terribly wrong?" Marsade asked. Margane snorted, the gibbon giving a crow of laughter.

"You mean aside from flaunting the rules of the Shaman at every given opportunity?" She said, frowning disapprovingly. Marsade's smile vanished and Rafiki nudged Margane in annoyance.

"Marg-"

"No Rafiki. Since he asked he deserves to know." She looked around at the gathered lions in the Pride. "You really should be more… discrete." She said. Marsade sighed.

"Not this old thing again…" he said, sourly.

"Yes. This old thing. Do you know, Haelien was convinced you were in some dreadful fight? She sensed your powers and how much you used them and became convinced that you were in some terrible danger. She thought you must have been fighting a River Lord! And when she gets here what does she find? She finds that you are amusing small cubs with flickers of flame! Channeling smoke into shapes for the amusement of mortals! The Power of creation turned into a colorful display. These gifts are not trivial things, Marsade! We have to use these powers responsibly… Not as toys." She said harshly. Marsade made a face.

"So… Haelien told you about that?" He asked. Rafiki coughed.

"Yes. Though by that point she had found the amusing side of it." He told them. Margane sighed.

"I don't mean to be rude, Jino… But you shouldn't really even _know _the extent of Marsade's abilities. We're not supposed to become so… involved…" She said apologetically. Jino gave a soft smile.

"My lady Margane, I must confess to be unversed in the lore of the Shaman. But I do feel you are being somewhat harsh on Marsade. He's lived here as long as I have. We're not untrustworthy creatures. We would never betray what small secrets we have gleaned from his valued presence. I am given to understand that Rafiki has become a valued confidant of Kwanza, the High-King at Crown Rock?" he asked aloud. Rafiki nodded.

"It is true. Though it is a different matter." He sighed. "In truth though, we didn't come here to criticize Marsade. It was actually as a favor to High King Kwanza that we both came here – though we intended to go in separate directions from here. We coming together was purely coincidental." He raised an eyebrow at Margane. "Rafiki knows perfectly well that Marganes indulgences are harmless. His presence has clearly been a boon to your Pride and we would be fools to interfere on that account. Besides, Margane's disapproval of the rest of us is one of the universe's great constants. She and Marsade have known each other since childhood and the universe would _shake _the day they agreed on anything." Rafiki said. Neema snickered and Margane looked offended, before rolling her eyes.

"So, you bring news from Kwanza?" Kucha asked. Marsade looked interested.

"News from Crown Rock?" He asked.

"Crown Rock?" Kono asked suddenly. Jino nodded.

"Yes. Crown Rock. It's the center of Africa. Kwanza is the most powerful lion on the savannah. He's a mighty King."

"Mightier than you?" Koro asked his father. Jino smiled fondly.

"_Far_. Only once was he ever challenged in combat. Three rouges came to the Kingdom. Two males and a female. The strongest male went first, then the second. The weakest – but the smartest: the female – allowed the others to fight Kwanza first and so fight him at his weakest. Instead, Kwanza fought all three at once… He killed one, maimed the other and left the lioness scarred. Always was too chivalrous. If he hadn't he might have escaped his fate…" Jino said. Kono stared, enraptured.

"Did… She come back for revenge?" He guessed, knowing how stories such as these went. Rafiki laughed.

"Hardly. He married her."

"_WHAT?!"_

"Yes… That was how Kwanza met his queen. I was there… I had to tend to the both of their wounds…" Rafiki told them. Marsade laughed.

"Good kings… Poor old fool." He said. Rafiki nodded.

"Aye. In fact, it was on their behalf that I came to find you and King Jino. Queen Askari is expecting her first cub in a few weeks. You are invited to attend his presentation." Rafiki said. Jino grinned.

"Well then of course, we shall have to accept!" He said. Kucha rose.

"This news demands celebration!" He said. "We should feast. I shall be quick." And with that, he parted company and vanished back into the savannah.

Danyal paused, and decided to remain with the Shaman, rather than follow the single lion. He had nwever heard of a Kwanza, or of a High King. Jino had been called a King… But he also expressed loyalty to another? He hadn't heard of such a thing in the Pridelands. He would have to ask Rafiki personally. How could there have been a Great King he hadn't heard of? Unless of course these were not the Pridelands? But if so, what was Rafiki doing here? He paused, and went to listen once more.

"So that's why Rafiki is here then. But if you're not here to lecture me, Margane, why are _you _here? Not that I am not pleased to see you. But if Rafiki is here on behest of Kwanza, what brings you to the kingdom of Jino?" Marsade said shortly. Margane's eyes narrowed.

"You were right… This isn't the first pride I've been visiting. I paid a visit to the Lands to the east of here. The Edgelands Pride."

"Those are under the rule of Queen Nyah aren't they?"

"They were."

"Were? Has she passed on?"

"I don't know. I couldn't find her. Or any of her Pride… They're gone."

"Gone?!"

"There… Signs of a struggle. Blood. Claw marks, cloven into solid rock. I fear she is dead." Margane said.

"Is it possible that they fled the lands? She might have ran to the Mountainlands to the north – to King Erevue?."

"I suspected as much… So I went there next."

"Was she missing as well?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. She had been killed. Almost torn apart. And that's not worse. We've not heard anything from the King Kito either… The High King feared that there was a danger to the Prides… Some powerful rouge perhaps? Either way… You were warned to be on your guard. Should one attempt to challenge you…? You'd do well to be cautious. The High King isn't keen for his fellow rulers to suffer a similar fate until we can identify the threat…" Margane said. Jino nodded gravely.

"I assume you will continue on to inform the other Prides of this news? Both good and bad?" Jino asked gravely. Margane nodded. Jino swallowed.

"Well then. I thank you for your counsel, Shaman. I think we should be… reasonably protected with Marsade here with us. I am glad that is settled. Still, we should not focus on such grim tidings. Kucha will be back soon with some food."

"I am sure your brother is a superb hunter. You are a gracious host." Rafiki said. Marsade nodded. "He is indeed. And their father was."

"You knew his father as well? You've known this Pride for quite a while then? How did you come to meet?" Margane asked, her voice softening. Marsade blew air between his teeth.

"That must have been… four generations ago? The pestilence?" He asked. Jino nodded.

"My grandfather told me about it. It was the fire." He prompted. Marsade snapped his fingers.

"Yes. That was it. There was a forest fire." He said. "It had been a very dry year… and I've never known it so hot. The fire spread so quickly. It engulfed the land for half a mile…" He recalled. Rafiki whistled.

"Any way… It burned for ours and more and more was absorbed into the inferno. The fires blew so hot and the air shifted so… Haelien could explain it better… but the temperatures in the air and pressures… it created winds so powerful, the whole blaze was swept into a tempest of flame."

"Firestorm." Margane said, recognizing the phenomena. One of nature's most devastating events, more powerful and more dangerous than any cyclone or hurricane. Jino nodded.

"The air was choking… smoke for miles. Animals suffocated where they slept. Others were pulled into the storm by the winds to burn alive." The young cub Kono shuddered.

"How did you stop that? The amount of rain needed to extinguish such a blaze…" She didn't finish.

"He didn't use the rain." Jino said. "He walked into the inferno, letting the flame rip away his skin and regenerating it at the same time, until he reached the eye of the storm. There, he used his rod to take control of the storm. He twisted the inferno counter to the storm, against the full force of the storm. With the winds negated, he manipulated the inferno itself, lifting the blazing burning sun into the air and crushing it before him. That was how we knew he was a Shaman. Blest by the Kings. He conquered the firestorm… and collapsed in the effort. We recovered him and helped him recover." The king told them. Rafiki was chuckling, while Margane stared agape. Marsade gave a modest smile.

"That story gets more and more impressive each time you tell it, Jino…" He admonished him.

"Did I make anything up?" Jino protested.

"No…" Marsade admitted be grudgingly.

"Anyway, to cut a long story short, while was recovering, the Kings son, my grandfather was suffering from the effects of the smoke. While barely able to stand, Marsade healed his lungs of the wasting within him. Then departed. But my grandfather recalled the stories of his survival for years to come and when during his reign, an outbreak of the red pestilence threatened the entire pride, he spent a month tracking down Marsade. Found him, brought him back here. He saved a bunch of our lives, including three of my grandparents." Jino said. Marsade chuckled.

"Still think I am trivializing my gifts?" Marsade asked with the ghost of a smile. Rafiki laughed.

"You know she means no malice, Marsade." He pointed out.

"I know that… I just resent the interference when–"

Their conversation was ripped apart by a sudden scream. It was loud and penetrated the savannah,. Jino leapt to his feet in a panic.

"Kucha!" He exclaimed, recognizing the voice. Neema looked in surprise and grabbed her son by the neck, moving into the den with quick speed. Kucha and two of the other lionesses moved quickly, with Marsade climbing to his feet in a second and brandishing his staff like a spear.

"Margane, Stay with the others!" He called and then and Rafiki followed the lions, running with deceptive speed, able to keep pace with the lions. Danyal climbed to his feet and followed.

They crashed through the grasslands towards a small wooded area, following the sounds of combat, the eerie echoes of snarling, roaring, growls and angry cries, which were turning to more desperate shouts of pain and screams of help.

"_Kucha!" _Jino shouted, once more recognizing the calls.

And suddenly the savannah cleared and they were standing beneath a tree. Nearby, the recently killed carcass of a zebra lay untouched and uneaten. Of more pressing concern was the body of Kucha, which lay not too far from the tree. Almost on top of him, another figure stood, his jaws locked around Kucha's neck. He turned at the approached of the Shaman, his eyes dak and turned to flee, but Margane was there first, the lithe ape moving with speed and swiftness almost impossible to see. She span and drove her staff into the great creature who gave a guttural howl as the staff pierced its side. It span, throwing Margane and her staff free but Rafiki lowered his rod and golden light weaved towards him, encircling the creature, how stood still his eyes suddenly fearful of the strange magic he witnessed.

Blood spattered the grass, filling the air with its pungent odor. Marsade rushed to the body of Kucha, his eyes a glow with crimson light, his hands already at work, running his fingers along the deep wounds carved into his flesh. Jino roared in anger and rushed to his younger brother's side. Rafiki gasped, looking at the mess in shock.

"Kucha! Kucha, come on! Stay with me!" J said urgently and his brother's eyes flickered. Marsade muttered words of magic, but looked paniced. The bounds were deep and the bleeding so bad that he could not find every wound. Several bones were obviously broken too.

"Kucha…"

"Jino… Brother…" He managed to gasp. Kucha looked to Marsade frantically.

"Hey, it's okay Kucha, alright? Marsade's here! And Rafiki and Margane too – they're just as strong as he is. They can help you, you'll see, don't worry. Don't worry, just stay with me. He said. Marsade's eyes flashed scarlet and suddenly his staff was alive with light. His energies span and slammed into Kucha, who jerked and shouted in pain. The air was palpable, they could hear the crackle and burst of energy as it was fed through his form. But Kucha was fading fast.

"Marsade, be careful! He's only a mortal! Use too much power and you'll burn him inside out!" Margane warned.

"Help me!" He shouted, though Margane looked uncertain.

It was no use. The power of the Shaman was great, but it could not sustain a person indefinitely, nor was its healing properties all powerful. He could only use so much power without causing more to the injured lion and it was apart that however much Marsade could safely use, was not enough to undo the damage that had been wrought upon Kucha without killing him.

Marsade howled in frustration.

"Marsade." A soft voice next to him whispered. He looked up and stared at Margane.

"_Help him… he's my friend. I've known him since he was a cub…" _he told her. Margane looked at him. Then she sighed. She had always been above this. She had let the circle take its course. She had tried not to interfere. She had kept her gifts quiet and unadvertised, if not a total secret. But she couldn't refuse her little brother's hadn't been much more then children when they'd gained their powers and in so many way, Marsade hadn't grown much in the centuries that had followed. Her eyes began to glow with starfire and he held up her own staff.

She stared at Kucha and the rest of the world seemed to mealt away. She saw the injury and the blood. She knew the shape of the wounds and the felt the fleeting beats of his heart. And she looked deeper and she saw the torn tissue and the damaged flesh. She saw the broken bones. And she weaved her power, weaving together the splintered bones, catching each broken fragment and moving them back into pace. Binding them together and resealing old bone, setting it back and coating it in flesh. She didn't just fling power at the wound, she didn't allow his body to fuel itself with her gift. She found each injury and each wound, each break and each tear and she took control of the muscle and the tissue and the flesh and she weaved it together, letting the cells blossom and multiply, bringing it together, coating the bone in muscle and the muscle in flesh and the flesh in a fine layer of skin which erupted into thick and golden furs. The blood evaporated. The scent of the sea air hit the savannah like a typhoon, as the light blossomed around and the healer, piece by piece, rebuilt Kucha.

Danyal stared in total silence at what he had just witnessed. The air was still. All was quiet but the slow breathing of Marsade, exhausted by his futile magic. Then the air was filled with a soft laughter.

"**Ha… ha… ha… Heh heh heh he! Now that was something I never thought I'd see!" **It said.

Then Jino turned to the figure bound with Rafiki's magic, with murder in his eyes, his relief for his brother now fading into righteous anger. Danyal stared in shock, seeing for the first time, who and what had attacked the Lion. He's eyes widened and – though he knew these things to be but a shadow, stepped backwards anyway.

"Who… What…"

"**You seem a little lost for words… Cat got your tongue?"** He asked. Jino gave a cry of rage and launched himself at the mysterious figure.

"NO, JINO!" Marsade called out, his own magic leaping into life and Jino was pulled out of the air. And a good thing to, because as soon as Jino had move the entire position of the capture killer had shifted, into a low pounce, his claws fully extended to their impressive size and poised to pierce into his attacker. He gave a scowl as Marsade stood there, his staff outstretched and Jino hovered a few feet from the ground, held in place by Marsade, who let out a wheeze. Jino blinked and saw the claws he'd nearly skewered himself upon.

Lowering his friend to the ground, Marsade turned to the other figure, with literal fire in his eyes. He turned his infernal gaze upon him and or the first time, realized what he saw.

"Tiger."

"**Tiger ****_Lord, _****please. Call me aristocratic, but I do enjoy the proper titles… I ****_did_**** work hard for them."**

"Tiger Lord? We're allies with the Tiger Lords! What would one be doing here? Why would one attack my Pride? What quarrel did you have with the Kings brother?"

"**That was the ****_Prince?" _**He asked, his face forming terrible surprise. Then it twisted into a smirk.**"Blast it. I was searching for his brother… There is no glory to be gained from killing the second son… Of course, it was fun… But now I'll have to start all over again!"**He admitted.

Jino looked ready to claw the tiger to death.

"Who are you?" Rafiki asked warily, his own staff trained on the tiger.

"**Must we stand on pleasantries?"**

"_Who are you_?" Marsade asked in anger. Jino's face contorted into hatred. They knew the tiger Lords, who lived on the borders of the High Kings Lands and payed respected and fealty to the High King, though they were not a part of any Lion Pride. They existed only in small groups and family units, not unlike the Cheetahs. They were a solitary race, but they had their own lands. Why would one be this far inland, this close to Crown Rock? Unless…

"Wait… I know your kind. You're no Tiger Lord." He said, understanding dawned.

"**Really?" **He said, arrogance becoming anger for the first time. **"And how would you know that?**

"He's been banished from his people's lands. That's why you're sneaking around here. I know you're kind. You are worthless, accursed!"

"**Such terrible words to hear from a supposedly dignified King…"**

"You aren't welcome here. I know who and what you are… You're a _Shai'tan_! Someone so hated and foul that even your own kind have washed their paws of you and disowned you from their race! And you try to claim that you are Tiger Lord? You are a Shai'tan! Nothing more…"

"**Ooh… that's a naughty word. Would you use such language in front of your child?"** the Shai'tan asked, grinning. Margane's eyes widened.

"Shai'tan?" She asked. Margane's eyes flickered to her.

"A rather unflattering term… Roughly meaning 'Hated Enemy', or 'Filthy exile'." It meant cursed, unclean, despised and all host of other words. No wonder the tiger took offence. It began to growl, but Jino interrupted him.

"The High King banished all you. You're the rabid mad ones. Those who don't won't submit to order. What is your name?"

"**My Name? Heh. My Name? Why not. You can carve it on your brother's grave. I am LORD ****_SHIEN_****! Shien-Su of the wastes! I am no Shai'tan. I am far more!"** He exclaimed, his eyes dark and dangerous. Margane's eyes narrowed though she still had a hand no Kucha, who was beginning to stir. Slowly he opened his eyes.

"What… Ugh… I didn't see anything. One moment I was hunting, I was dragging this back… and then… then… this creature attacked me. Without a word." He looked at the Tiger in fear and shuddered.

"Thank you… Shaman… For saving me…" He said. Margane smiled, but looked up at the Tiger in anger, her work done.

"I don't know what crime you committed to be abandoned by your kin, Shai'tan. You travel alone, you poach in others lands. Don't try and deny it. No matter how much you try to cling to your title, you know as well I do that you wouldn't be forced to steal and murder. Isn't that why you attacked Kucha? To try to mask your presence until you'd disappeared once more. I don't know why you were banished to begin with, Shien. But when I get back to the High King, we shall add the attempted murder of Kucha to your crimes. That I can promise you. He'll have your head for this." She said. Shien smirked.

"**No. You won't. I'll promise you that and I don't break my promises. And I promise yo something else. I didn't come here for food. Nor for water. You are wise Shaman. Can you guess?" **Margane frowned.

"Why else would you come here? Why attack my brother if not to silence him?" Jino asked. The Tiger seemed to hesitate and looked at the Shaman.

"**I couldn't possibly tell you that… Some knowledge is dangerous."**

"What?"

"**It would leave you… changed… if I told you. I don't trust Shaman anyway. It must really bother them though, to not know something. It gets under their skin, doesn't it? All wise and powerful, and just as ignorant as we mere mortals…"** He said.

"Why did you come here?" Jino asked angrily, rapidly feeling his authority as King deteriorating. Shien-Su eyed him and his voice became low and soft.

"**I need to keep some secrets don't I? But… I can tell you… But only you King Jino. I'll tell you the secret… I can tell you why I came here… Why I fought my way through these lands and why I attacked your brother… But be prepared, it will change the way you see the world forever!"** He warned him. Jino stared at him.

"Then tell me!"

"**Come closer."** He said, his voice shrinking into a whisper. Jino's eyes narrowed.

"Not on your life." He said. Did the Tiger think he was mad? The Shai'tan sighed dramatically.

"**I swear it."**

"On what?"

"**I swear to you on the heavens and the hells of this earth, that I will not take your life today. I take the oath on my soul. As a Tiger Lord and as Shien-Su."** moved towards him.

"**Closer**." And he warily stepped towards the wounded Tiger. Shien-Su leaned close, until his mouth was next to the king ear. There, he bared his teeth and uttered in a low whisper.

"**I came here…"** he paused. **"In secret…"**

"Why?"

"**To Kill… ****_Lion Kings…_**" And with a roar, he ripped his claws free, he struck out at Jino in one movement and clawed at his face. Jino pulled back, but to slow. There was a terrible ripping sound and the spray of blood and Jino was hit with a sharp lance of pain. He emitted a scream and fell backw2ards. Marsade rushed to his friend's aid and then the Shai'tan moved like lightning. He must have been facing his weakness before because now he whirled and struck, out a lioness behind him, dragging his claws into her neck and back and flinging her around, placing her between him and Margane, who stayed her strike quickly, in order to avoid hitting the lioness. The second lioness roared and charged at him, but he swung the screaming bleeding lioness entrapped in his claws around and threw her with such strength that she was flung free and crashed into the other with a cry. His mouth ripped open into a terrifying roar that echoed and suddenly his claws were like knifes slashing and tearing.

This was no Tiger Lord, this was a monster, one who had lived in the wilds. This was no thief or poacher. This was no rouge or challenger. This was a killer. A monster. And the monster roared and filled those who heard it with dread.

Then he leapt over Margane, sailing high over the Shaman's head. Rafiki staff spun and light shot forth and Margane was in the way and he grunted in frustration. Margane tried to support his friend, who was still crying out, his claw pressed to his head.

"**I told you it would change how you saw the world!"**Shien laughed. The King eyed him with a single eye, his claw pressed over the blinded bloody mess that was his other eye. It had been dismembered in a single blow. The pain was almost intoxicating. The two lioness incapacitated and the Shai'tan diving between the Shamans with such speed he blurred and then, he darted past them all.

"KUCHA!" Jino managed to call and his brother climbed to his feet, staring at the Shai'tan in shock and fear. Shien-Su. Drove his extended claws into Kucha's chest. The blades pierced his heart. Kucha gave a grunt of surprise.

"**My name is Shien-Su no longer. Tell anyone who would listen to you Shaman. Add this to your news. Tell every Lion Pride you find who is killing their Kings and their Queens! Tell any Tiger you find to join me! I killed Nyah. I dismembered Erevue. I murdered Sarfia and I took the head of my own father, Naaz and all four of my brothers.**" His claws sank further into Kucha. **"I have taken the heads and crowns and of half a dozen Lion Kings and I will kill a dozen-dozen more! Then, when the land has been purged, I will come for Kwanza! Crown Rock and those who serve under it will ****_burn. _****I promised I wouldn't kill you today Jino, so perhaps you live for now. But I will defile your body before the next rain season! I keep promises I make."** He grinned. **"I also promised that you wouldn't be adding attempted murder to my crimes. I'll keep that too." **He said**. "Better make it just murder.**" He laughed as Kucha coughed and the light in his eyes died. He fell to the ground. **"My name is Shien-Su no longer. I will not suffer the tyranny of the Lion Kings any longer! We don't need your rules! We don't need your laws! We don't need your crowns or your kingdoms and your lands! We won't carve up this land like spoils of meat! In my new world, in my Imperium, there will be no more Kings! No more Lords! Just ****_Me. _****And there, the only rule will be ****_strength. _****I am Shien-Su no longer!"** He roared once more.

"**_I am Shan-Al-Kir! I am Emperor! _** **_I will destroy those who presumed to judge me! Destroy all who presume to judge those who are _****STRONGER. ****_By what right do the weak judge the strong?! By what right to they call me _****monster?"**He roared in frenzied anger. Jino roared but didn't stir. Marsade however leapt to his feet, his staff alive with light. His eyes rested on Kucha. On the lion they had fought so hard for to save but mere moments ago, the lion whom Margane had sacrificed so much power to heal. All that undone in a second. For no Shamanism he currently possessed could resurrect the dead as anything less than enthralled specters. Kucha whom he had known since he was cub. His face twisted into a familiar snarl.

"You _filthy _Shai'tan! You will burn for this!" He said. Shan-Al-Kir laughed.

"That's if I see you in hell Shaman." He said. Marsade fingers twisted and light burst and flame began to dance.

"No. Not in Hell. You'll burn _today_!" And with that, he leapt into the air and spun his staff. Flame danced around once more and then shot forth like diving birds, aimed at the Shai'tan. The Tiger shouted as flesh began to seer and he fled, the hissing sound of burning following him. Marsade screamed in anger, his eyes alive with fury and ran after him.

"Come back you coward! Come back!" he shouted, throwing ball of flame after ball of flame against him. The flames hissed and flickered and burst and the balls were followed by shrieking jets and forks of burning air, darting like snakes, like birds, like pouncing like. And Danyal saw the shapes in the magic he cast. The flame which darted lie snakes showed the echoes of shadows of cobras, of vipers and mamba in their flickering. The shapes of falcons and eagles could be seen in the ones which arced out of the air. Marsade gathered his strength and ceased running and the flame surged, taking a giant shape and that dark flame shadow of a great lion charged after Shan-Al-Kir, who laughed manically as he disappeared into the long grass. Smoke now filled the air, choking and suffocating. The lion crashed into the area Shan-Al-Kir disappeared into and exploded into a flash of light, setting the plains on fire.

"MARSADE!" he heard. He turned and saw Rafiki standing there. "Marsade you need to stop! He got away you have to stop now before you hurt anyone else!"

"No! He'll get away!" He howled in anger and the flame writhed and surged with his hatred. He could feel it burning, prickling his back as the flame blew unfettered and unguided, his control over each blast of fire relinquished and forgotten as soon as it no longer served its purpose and was left to burn the ground apart around him.

"MARSADE! This is Kucha's _home _you're burning! Jino's Kingdom! Your _home_!" Rafiki pleaded. Marsade's anger boiled but slowly he looked around, at the sky already darkened by smoke and the wildfire blazing out of control. He sent out his will and ceased the flames, snuffing them out with a clench of his fists. The air began to clear and the heat diminished. Margane was then by his side and he could feel the cold air of her magic. Slowly clouds began to blossom and multiply, high above him and gentle patter of rain began to fall. It was completely out of season, but the rain reduced the rest of the scorched land to a smolder. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Marsade… Are you alright?" Rafiki asked him slowly. Marsade didn't answer. Instead he closed his eyes.

"No… Rafiki… You must return to Crown Rock. Inform Kwanza of this… creature. He has declared War on the Lion Kingdoms. The high King must be told… We need to answer it before any more of the Tiger-Lords join him… If they chose to aid his Imperium…"

"It might be too late for that…" Margane said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Rafii asked sharply. Margane sighed.

"He killed Nyah in secret… and Erevue too. But _here_ he attacked openly. Not only that, he was perfectly at ease with telling the Lions here his plans. He _wants_ a fight. He wouldn't do that if he wasn't already prepared for one. He wouldn't have antagonized a dozen prides without allies." She said. Marsade hesitated.

"We must warn the other Prides. The Tiger Lords are not to be trusted… We don't know who has betrayed us. Some may fight with him after this monstrosity."

"I… Will tell Kwanza. But then I shall go north." She said firmly.

"North?!" He asked shocked. "Why North?"

"If there is going to be war here… I would rather not be involved." Marsade stared at her. He looked at Rafiki in shock.

"And you?" He asked, looking concerned.

"I am not Kwanza's servant." He said and at Marsade's expression quickly added. "But I _am_ his friend. I shall help where I can. But I won't fight." He said. Marsade went over to his friends and at Jino who was lying on the ground, half blinded and at the dead body of Kucha. The other two lionesses were injured, one critically, but they were alive.

"Come. We should get back to Kono and Neema… In case Shan-Al-Kir tries to come back… Jino… Will need them after this. Help me." He said and the lioness carried Kucha's body back with them, to Jino's den. The king was in pain and stumbled and Margane quickly acted to help him, her shamanic gifts soothing his pain. But not regrowing his eye. It had been ripped out by Shan-Al-Kir.

The creature, whom Danyal now realized, was one and the same with Shien-Su. The first Emperor of the Imperium.

* * *

**AN:**

**So we see some action of Castella and Sundar there. What did you think of that?**

**Also, we see Danyal witnessing some of the past there. As Marsade said, the lands recall what happened there.**

**Like many of the characters in the series, the lion's names are Swahili translations. They're not essential to the story and more to illustrate the diversity of the characters and the fact that there was a full-fledged civilisation in the Pridelands before Judai – like Kiava was beginning to suspect after hearing the Hyena's histories. Importantly, the names of many prides come up. It's not a major mystery, but at least we now have some confirmation that Judai was ****_not _****the first King of the Pridelands.**

**As for some of meanings of the names:**

**Jino - Claw**

**Kucha - Tooth**

**Kono - Paw**

**Neema - Grace**

**Askari - Warrior**

**Kwanza - First**

**Nyah - Purpose**

**Erevue - Clever**

**There is a lot to go through here. As you can tell, this is a past version of the Pridelands. As you can se, marsade was once very friendly with some of the early lions of the lands. The Tigers existed outside of the Kingdoms wbut, like the leopards and the cheetahs were bound to the king. As you can see, some defied King. You'll hear a little more about the specifics of Shan-Al-Kir's crimes, but you can already see he is a very damaged person mentally and is completely insane.**

**He wants to remove the Lion Kings. In his twisted view of the world they are holding back the Tigers. He sees strength as the only true foundation upon which to rule. If you aren't strong enough to defend what is yours, then you don't deserve it. He values his strength and is testing himself against the kings he fights. If he is stronger, then – he thinks – why shouldn't he rule? Why should he bow in respect to one weaker then himself? Why should he obey the laws of Kings he can kill and defeat? He makes his own laws. And who is going to tell him otherwise? Why should he conform to other people's morality? They can't _make _****him. Order is a sham. Laws are only consistent as long as everyone agree to it. Even right and wrong depends only on what people define to be right and wrong. So, when he is literally the most powerful creature on earth (as far as he can see) why shouldn't he rule? Why shouldn't his ****definition of right and wrong guide everyone? The Rule of the Strong.**

**And as you can see he's been working on this for a while, one by one, attacking the kings and Prides of the lions. Until he is brave enough to openly declare himself emperor. He is hoping that enough Shai'tan, Tiger Lords and others will hear of his exploits that they can question to themselves: Why not? Why should I listen to what this person says, if I am stronger? If I am the better fighter, why ****_should _****I bow to a king and obey their laws?**

**He is not evil. He is denying good or evil exists. I am a little concerned he comes across as objectively evil with no reasoning, which isn't what I am going for.**

**As you can see, Marsade and Rafiki were very good friends at this point. **


	20. Chapter 19 - Faith, Hope and Love

**"Hello all!**

**Sorry for the late release! You know how it is when real life gets everywhere. A bunch of stuff going on of varying importance and it just becomes hopeless trying to get everything done.  
This chapter is an unusual one, because it is the first to combine the viewpoints of Kiava and of the Rebels in a single chapter. In the first section, there is a lot of plot development. In the second, there is a lot more character development. So this should be good for all of you! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Yup. The change is substantial. But it will be pretty well explained, (I hope).

Your thoughts on the Shai'tan are very accurate. In a sense, the Shai'tan are free.

But they are free, because they are giving away their humanity. If a human were to do what they are doing, they would be slowly carving away the things that make them human. They are forfeiting the ability to choose right from wrong, but getting rid of the concept.

In this way, we can't really consider them evil, because they are truly, genuinely unable to see the difference. The thing, is, that state of being is self-inflicted and the desired outcome.  
If evil, is defined as the absence of good, then what do you call someone who has cut themselves off form good and evil? Someone who's soul is not just black with sin, but has severed themselves from their soul entirely?

Castella hasn't quite managed that yet. She has doubts. And Sundar exploits that doubt. The doubt, that the only way to do to themselves what they are doing, is to go mad.

And finally… Some _really _good thoughts on Judai and Pride Rock.  
Keep thinking. But damn you are good.

I worry nothing will surprise you.

:Thinks for a moment:

Uh.  
Nothing _after _what I have in store for you that is. Allow me a sadistic chuckle. Ahem.

**Shadow: **Castella is somewhat blind to her father's fault and naïve in a lot of ways. But expect there to be some conflict soon. Sundar did manage to rattle her somewhat.

Marsade used to be a good person. He used to be kind and compassionate, merciful and trusting. That was a long time ago. Now, he is something else. Everything stems from his hatred. He is a cruel creature. That is his trait.

Castella is indoctrinated into the ideology that Strength is the only true source of power in this world. But she _does _have a conscience. She is trying to suppress it though. Not because she knows something is wrong, but because she doesn't want to know. She just wants to act.

**Author: **Yes, we get a translation! The word Shai'tan is actually derived from the Arabic word for "Devil" or "Satan", and is also the name of the "Dark One" In the Wheel of Time. Presumably named for the same reasons.

The series is actually planned out. The rest of this book is already in a spreadsheet, with each Chapter and the intended content of each chapter. It's the reason why some of these chapters get really long. I have a quota of how what needs to be covered, but sometimes that doesn't take into account the words needed to do it.

Marsade's ultimate fall will be revealed soon, but you can see the beginnings of it here.

Castella is indeed a Tiger – She is the Emperor's daughter, remember? The same as him.

As for my country of Origin? I live in the UK. A British citizen am I.

**SandyDragon: **Thank you! Glad you liked the flashbacks! I was terrified that they would appear contrived or forced, but I am pleased with how they worked out! A lot of them will be relevant, and important later on, and the last thing I wanted to do was to make them seem plot driven, rather than context driven.

There are plans.  
Always plans and plots and schemes. I can't help myself.

Ever since the initial Kivuli/Kira reveal, I have gotten kicks out of pulling the rug out from under the reader, so obviously expect a few more twists and turns around the way!

Shan-Al-Kir is definitely crazy.

Interesting though, that no one has thought to ask _why _he is crazy?

**Ultimateblack:** I'll try to work on the walls of text. Promise. This chapter is a little bit more hopelessly. But hopefully, they'll be less angst in the next one? Things will start to pick up again soon.

Hopefully as well, the History is interesting? There is actually a whole lot more behind the scenes that I have planned out in case I need to reference it. However, I hope you enjoyed this. I pride myself in having complex villains. Even Ben-Kai-Ra, as you will hopefully see soon, isn't as simple as you'd think. He's got very different motivations, as does Marsade than you are led to believe.

Marsade's anger is a factor, and as symptom of his fall, though not its cause. Its cause is something more profound – as you will soon see.

As for Sundar and Danyal… Yes. You're supposed to feel uncomfortable here. There are definitely sexual overtones what Marsade intends for Sundar – and to a lesser degree, Danyal. After all, he hasn't produced any Tigons let, has he?

That said, something I've stood by since the beginning is that, while sexual relationships are an inherent part of romantic relationships, and somewhat necessary for a story which involves inheritance, childhood and growth, I will not, and never will, show such a scene in action.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Faith, Hope and Love**

* * *

Kiava awoke suddenly, his mouth dry. He gave a small cough, and immediately, he was met with Zuri. He tried to climb to his feet, but Zuri put a paw on his shoulder and pressed him back down.

"Whoa… Don't try to move just yet…" She told him, but she was smiling. He let out a low groan, but remained still as requested.

"Hey Zuri…" He managed to say after a moment. His mouth was dry and his voice was hoarse. But he was alive. She smiled at him.

"Hey yourself." She said, smirking. "I knew you wouldn't let a little thing like an incurable snake bite get you down for too long." She told him. Kiava let out a small laugh.

"Burn me… She did it. She actually did it!" He said, giving a laugh. "She managed to heal us of the poison!" He said. He felt groggy, but his eyes were bright with relief. Zuri could feel it. Brave though he might have been, the young king had been scared.

"More like purge you of it, as far as any of us have been able to understand. But yes. Asante did it." Zuri told him.

"Not that it wasn't a close thing though." Sarafina said, emerging from a point just out of Kiava's view. Kiava blinked when he saw her.

"Sarafina! When did you get here! Did I see you before?" He asked, suddenly looking alarmed.

"I arrived a few days back. After a tip off from a… mutual friend." She said ruefully. "I imagine you were more than a little delirious by that point." She said. Kiava nodded. He had been starting to hallucinate. He looked around.

"Where is Asante?" He asked.

"Asante is fine." She said, easing his worries. Who know what damage she could have done to herself if her powers were not sufficient? "She's out stone cold though. The poor girl was exhausted after whatever it was that she did. She hasn't woken up yet, but we're confident that she'll be fine after some rest." Sarafina said.

"What about Bhagari?" He asked.

"Safe and well, the same as you. He's already woken up, but has since gone back to sleep. We shouldn't disturb him." She told him. Kiava nodded. He could feel some strength returning to him, and he pulled himself to his feet, against Zuri's protestations. He blinked again, and rubbed his eyes with a paw. The now familiar cave where he had been resting was already feeling brighter.

"Kings… I feel… I don't know. Odd." He said. He tried to stretch and immediately regretted it. His muscles were still sore, probably the result of the near constant muscle spasms the venom had sent him into. Being free of them was yet another mercy. He was relieved, and let out a sigh. As brave as he might have been, he was not fearless. He had fought to the end. Sarafina nodded, satisfied that Kiava was okay. She looked at Zuri and smiled.

"Well then." She said. "I'll leave you two alone then. Well done Kiava. There are few who would have been able to resist that venom for as long as you did. And if you hadn't… well. We know what would have happened. Until later, your majesty." She said and withdrew from the cave, a smile on her lips for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. Silently, she offered a prayer of thanks to the Kings. She had feared she had been too late in coming to Kiava's aid. Now it seemed that he was on the mend. After so much death, so much atrocity, it brought real joy to finally be granted some small smidgen of luck. She left the cavern alone, and made her way outside. Looking around her, she could see small groups of Hyenas here and there. Some were testing themselves against each to her, training hard. She had always thought of Hyenas as a lazy bunch – they spent so much of their time poaching after all. Their determination and perseverance surprised her. One battle was fought and they were already preparing for the next one. She wondered if they had always been so driven. Certainly not under Scar's rule. But then, under Scar's rule they had enjoyed much power and freedom. Few of them hunted – they could always claim some of what the lionesses brought back.

"Sarafina!" She heard a voice call. She turned.

"Shenzi. Or _Matriarch_, as I guess you are now. Congratulations on your coronation." She said passively. Shenzi eyed her. She knew Sarafina, being one of the Pride's preeminent huntresses during Scar's reign. Sarafina had been a close friend of Scar's, before his insanity robbed the tyrant of his senses and his soul.

"What do you want of Kiava?" She said bluntly. Sarafina blinked.

"He is my own flesh and blood, Shenzi." Sarafina responded indignantly. This wasn't what she had expected. Some expectation, some old accusation, something from their past, she had anticipated. Not this. Incredulous, she turned to Shenzi, looking shocked. "I mean him no ill. In fact, it is my aim to assist him and protect him in what he has taken upon himself." She said. Shenzi was unmoved. The Hyena moved over to her, looking the ancient lioness up and down, eying the scars she had earned since their last meeting.

"You left the Pridelands. After Scar's defeat. Sarabi stayed behind, she led the lionesses, like she did under Mufasa's rule, but you left the Pridelands. You fought for Simba and toppled Scar's tyranny… and then… no one heard from you. You vanished." She said slowly. Sarafina blinked.

"I didn't think you'd have noticed such things, since you were running from the Kingdom at the time? As I recall, Sarabi was out for your blood." She said. Shenzi grimaced.

"I wasn't running. Sarabi didn't hunt me. She caught me. She… imprisoned me… for a time."

"She spared you?" Sarafina asked in surprise. Shenzi looked away.

"No one was spared. Least of all I. I survived. That is enough." His expression hardened. "And while I remember Sarabi well, I also remember you. And you _weren't_ there. Where did you go?" She asked her. Sarafina paused once more. Not for the first time, she got the distinct impression that there was something Shenzi wasn't telling her.

"I… abandoned my home out of Shame. I felt responsible for not preventing Scar's fall. Taka was my friend." Sarafina admitted.

"Aye. He was mine too ya know. Scar went crazy. It was no one's fault." She said coldly. "What eventually dragged you out of hiding?"

"The Shai'tan murdered my family and burnt my home to the ground. It got my attention. Convinced me to… reenter the world." Sarafina told her. Shenzi cocked her head at that.

"Yes… That would do it I suppose." She said. She nodded, and Sarafina sensed she had won some measure of respect from the old matriarch. Even something akin to approval. Sarafina laughed.

"You're a suspicious one! Do you always expect betrayal and deceit wherever you go?" She asked her. Shenzi looked at her in surprise.

"I _am _matriarch of the most powerful clan in the Shadowlands. How did you think I managed that? And I _am _still alive."

"Yes, but from the Kings own family?" Sarafina asked in disbelief.

"So was Scar." Shenzi said darkly. Then, more lightly. "Besides. I told you I remember Sarabi, didn't I? Forgive me for being cautious around lionesses of her brood." She said and left her, walking away. Sarafina shook her head in confusion. There was a story there, she was certain of it. Something Shenzi hadn't chosen to share with many people.

* * *

"This way!" Banzai shouted to his comrades. The mate of the Matriarch lead the pack without another word, and it twisted with him.

"Yeesh!" Ookai shouted. "Can't you slow down?" He spluttered, his voice cracking as he jiggled around. He was astride the grizzled hyena, and the golden monkey looked completely unhappy with the situation. Aback another hyena, Timon laughed. He himself had gripped tight fistfuls of the hyena's fur and was holding on for dear life, but he wasn't scared. Quite the contrary, he looked excited.

"How did I let you convince me into this?" Ookai moaned.

"You said you wanted to come!" Banzai told him quickly. They were running fast now, past the grey ash plains of the shadowlands. The ground was cracked and desolate, but also was littered with what were almost dunes of dust and rocks, creating a bizarre landscape, where little could be seen in any direction. The ground cracked and rolled beneath the beat of his paws, sending pebbles and rocks spraying and rolling away as the pack moved through the dust. The pack was guarding the borders of the areas that the hyenas had claimed since the fall of the ivory tower, but during the last stretches of the rocky falls between there and Skeleton Canyon, at Banzai's insistence, the group had picked up speed. Unable to keep up, Timon and Ookai had been carried by some of the stronger hyenas. Ookai was not enjoying the experience.

"I thought I'd be able to help! My eyes are better than yours during the day and I've been all over these lands… I didn't realize that I'd have to endure this!" He shouted indignantly. Banzai laughed at the monkey's discomfort.

"I watched you bludgeon a snake to death with an elephant tusk! Don't tell me _this _makes you queasy?" Timon laughed.

"Honestly – I'd have preferred –" His next words were cut off suddenly.

"Shut up!" Banzai said, pulling to a halt. Ookai shouted as he jerked to a stop and nearly flew from his perch. Banzai was motionless, his eyes narrowing, his ears twitching. Ookai groaned.

"What's the deal?" He asked, rubbing a bruise. Banzai ignored him. Timon paused, his own nose twitching.

"Do you smell that?" Banzai asked, looking concerned. Around him the other pair of hyenas glanced at one another nervously, and pulled closer. Timon jumped to the ground, and landed in a crouch. Ookai jerked.

"I smell nothing. Only hyenas…" Timon said. Banzai inhaled deeper.

"There aren't any hyenas out this far." One hyena warned Banzai, looking agitated. Banzai's lips curled into a snarl.

"Form up!" He called out, and the Hyenas twisted around, trying to cover all direction. Timon looked around wildly.

"That's not a tiger…" He said, detecting a faint acidity to the air. Ookai looked around.

"But you said there weren't any patrols out here! What do we have to fear from other hyenas?"

"I never said they were _our _hyenas…" Banzai said. There was a faint smell in the air. So alike their own familiar scent he almost hadn't noticed it, but there were faint variations, ever so slight twists on what was expected. His eyes narrowed. "No… It _can't_ be. They wouldn't…" Banzai said slowly. One of the hyenas glanced at him, her own nose picking up the scent, but unable to derive its direction.

"But they ran away, they're long gone from here! They'd wouldn't have _dared_ return!" She said in a panic. Banzai bared his teeth. Timon's ears twitched, and he began to make out a sound among the wind. A hideously familiar sound. A chorus of laughter, a manic giggle, and a deep groan of twisted mirth. Timon swore. Ookai, his eyes wide with panic, bent down and picked up a discarded bone from the ground. Its tip was splintered and sharp, and he held it out in front of him.

Around them, shapes began to form. An unmistakable canine shape. Hyenas.

They emerged from over dunes, and out of the hallow crevices of bones. A full half dozen of them – twice Banzai's own number. They were surrounded. Banzai bared his teeth and let out a snarl. The hostile action met with laughter, and cautious growls, but though the other hyenas continued to encircle them, none of them made a move to attack them.

"What are you doing here?" Banzai challenged them. Among the hyenas, a tall female emerged, her fur a dark grey, her spine arced with deep dark lines, displaying a striped coat.

"Are you Banzai? Consort of Matriarch Shenzi?" She asked harshly. Banzai growled. The hyena nodded her head to her forces.

"Stand Down!" She ordered her own hyenas who became still. Ookai gulped. The hyena looked at the monkey and cocked her head quizzically. Ookai shuddered at the hungry glare he received and almost shrank back.

"So it's true. We heard rumors that you've been consorting with… other species. Yet we find you here with rats and apes" She said, looking at Banzai, her expression unreadable. Banzai's face twisted betraying a seething anger at her almost accusatory tone.

"These aren't your lands. When did you gain the right to judge us for the company we keep? Your clans been consorting with warthogs if the state of your fighters is anything to judge. That's _twisted._" He said, his tone insulting. Timon winced. Clearly there was no love lost between the hyena clans, but despite that, he wished Banzai were not so brazen with his insults. The pack leader glared at him as Banzai's hyenas let out a chorus of laughter.

"Funny." She said, in a tone that sounded like cracking ice. "But I didn't come here to trade insults and names." She said. Banzai's tongue flicked out, his muscles tensing.

"They I suggest you leave us to our own affairs, including who we 'consort' with. What do ya think you are doing this far south? Did you think we were weakened and easy to conquer? Because if so, I have some bad news for you." He said. The female hyenas stepped back, intimidated. Her clan mates let out a growl. The hyena spat on the ground.

"Your lands are your lands for now. I didn't come here to be lectured by an old creature either."

"Then what are you here for?" Banzai asked.

"I came to deliver a message. To King Kiava of the Pridelands." The hyena said boldly. Timon froze, and Banzai's face became still. Ookai looked pale. What business did a rival clan have with the King? And what business could be so pressing that they would brave another clan's lands?

"A message?" Banzai repeated slowly. The other hyenas looked to each other in confusion.

"A message… For his ears. Matriarch _Haana_, Queen of the Shadowlands, wishes to speak to one who can destroy a Shai'tan. She wishes to know one who could slay Amun of the Shai'tan. The rest is up to you, Banzai."

"Is that it? A message? You ambushed our party just so I could act as messenger?" he scowled as the rival hyenas shifted into battle ready stances at the sound of his displeasure. "I could tear my way through all of you right now. What makes you think I'd deliver your _message_? What makes you think I'd let you trespassers leave?" Banzai asked her. Ookai groaned. Why couldn't Banzai keep his mouth shut? Did he _want_ a fight? Looking at him now though, Ookai was beginning to wonder if that was precisely it.

"You don't frighten me, Banzai. You might have been a great warrior once, but nowadays you are old. And if you're really thinking of fighting all of us, you're stupid too. You're nearly carrion already." She said, and jerked her head. The other striped hyenas backed off. Banzai's shoulders slumped as they left, though a glint remained in his eyes.

"Still don't fancy your chances, heh?"

The hyena pack leader glared at him, then laughed.

"Tell Kiava. Tell him we await him. Tell him, if he is not a coward, if he trolley faces the Imperium, we wait for him."

"Where?" Banzai asked.

She told him.

Timon swore.

* * *

"So… Who are these Hyenas?" Kiava asked Bhagari, who had been woken up quickly due to the urgency. Given Kiava's and Bhagari's injuries, and Asante's continued fatigue, Kiava's Council had convened once more in the caves. Bhagari, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and Asante sat together, opposite Sarafina, Kiava and Zuri. Also present was Timon, Ookai, Bruce. The dozen digested the information. Banzai cleared his throat.

"Our Clan… Isn't the only to inhabit the Shadowlands, though for any of the other clans to come this south is concerning." He said, without a trace of his usual humor. In fact, all of the hyenas remained dead serious. Sarafina nodded.

"Scar's power came from the fact that he united the Hyena clans, who were usually too busy fighting each other to pose any threat to the Pridelands. If one attempted to invade Prideland territory, they would have to weaken their borders with the other clans, and end up losing territory to their rivals." She said. Asante nodded.

"My mother's clan, is known to the others as the _spotted clan." _She said calmly, though Shenzi rolled her eyes at the term. "There are others. The most powerful of which is the striped clan." Asante continued.

"The ones you encountered?" Zuri asked. Shenzi shrugged

"Possibly. Who am I kidding? _Probably_. They mentioned Haana, and I can't say I know much about her." She told her. "Their clan _was _smaller than ours… but we've lost so many fighters that might no longer hold true. They could pose a serious threat to us." Banzai let out an indignant sound at that.

"A threat? Do they fight for the Shai'tan? For the Imperium?" Zuri asked, sounding worried.

"Yes." Said Sarafina. The lioness looking concerned.

"No." Said Banzai.

They looked at one another.

"Their Matriarch, Haana of the striped clan, hasn't officially aligned with the Shai'tan. She's refused to swear allegiance to the Emperor. But despite that, many of her clan _have_ accepted the offer of the Shai'tan's protection in exchange for their service, and she doesn't try and stop them. It's a large enough number to persuade Ben-Kai-Ra to allow them some freedom for now – he doesn't want to antagonize his own troops. I've heard that most of them serve under Leviath, and have crossed the continents to fight in other Legions. But not all of them. Some are in Golgorath." Banzai elaborated. He looked agitated and concerned.

"Why not let Rish'ut command them? Or Amun?" Sarafina asked. "He's based in the Pridelands. Wouldn't he be the most in need of soldiers?" It was Banzai who answered.

"Any one of a number of reasons. Not if he couldn't get them to work well with the Wilddogs. The Shai'tan like to keep their battalions separated by species. On top of that, Leviath got them first. It would turn Leviath against the Rish'ut if the Emperor started giving one the forces of the other. And the Emperor might not like the idea of relying on hyenas to fight hyenas." He said.

"And now… She wants to speak to Kiava?" Zuri asked. Ookai and Banzai looked at one another and nodded. Kiava let out a slow breath.

"And the other one?" Shenzi shrugged.

"He could belong to either of the remaining two clans." She said hesitantly. Kiava shook his head, beginning to feel frustrated.

"And those are?"

"Well, the smallest of the clans are the Brown hyenas. It's the weakest of the clans, but that makes them unpredictable. They have a habit of backing one clan or other, but there no way of knowing when their loyalties will shift. You can always spot them since their furs so ridiculously long, and it slows them right down in a fight. But they're durable… The can survive the freezing nights of the desert easily. They might be prepared to back an uncertain bet in the way of Kiava… But equally, it's a risk of them. They don't have the strength to oppose the Shai'tan, and have only avoided total annihilation by not being worth the effort." She said.

"And the final Clan?" Zuri asked. Shenzi glanced at Sarafina.

"The Black Hyena clan." She said softly. Banzai spat on the ground.

"And… what are they like?" There was silence.

"Dangerous." She said.

"Ominous one word answers might be dramatic, but they're not especially helpful. Some detail?" Kiava asked impatiently.

"… You've heard of Caliban, the Butcher? He was a Black Hyena." Banzai told them. There was a silence, and Ookai whistled. Zuri pressed a paw to her head and let out an exasperated sigh. Kiava swallowed.

"And they want to talk to Kiava? What for?" Sarafina said. Timon shuddered.

"Who cares!? Let's not go there!"

"They implied they had heard rumors of Amun's death. They want to see for themselves the Lion King who has offered hyenas a place in the Pridelands. To see if he is like Scar." Banzai said.

"Would they know what Scar was like?"

"Impossible. Whoever leads the clans now, it isn't the same Matriarchs as the ones who reigned when Scar stood atop Pride Rock."

"How can you be so sure?"

Shenzi slammed her paw into the ground.

"I know. Besides, it's probably a trap! They must know that the Emperor will retaliate for Amun's death… If they fear that they will face the same calamity for our rebellion, then they could be trying to curry favor with the Emperor to save their own skins."

"What if they want to join us?" Zuri asked. Shenzi growled.

"No! Those clans are _broken. _They aren't a threat to anyone, and they are of no help to us! When Scar's Kingdom fell, the Hyena Matriarchs scattered. The Clans went back to their infighting. The Hyena matriarchs _died. _Not a single one of them survived in the few years that followed."

"You did." Sarafina said calmly.

"I wasn't Matriarch then. But the Matriarchs died. Or burnt. Or were torn to pieces. Or murdered. I _know _they died. Their aggressive ambitions died with them and I rebuilt this clan from the ground up and I won't have it _contaminated _by the spawn of Caliban or any of the others! Our clan would never work with them!"

"You worked together before!"

"That was different! _I _was different! It's not the same. I am matriarch now!" She said. Kiava was quiet.

"I can't ignore them… I have to agree to speak to them. I have to hear what they have to say. In person."

"Kiava-"  
"If they want to join us… I'd rather have them with us then leave them at our backs while we go to war with the Emperor. If we refuse them, they might decide that they are better off with the Emperor after all. Besides, we need to know what have to offer us." Shenzi snorted.

"The other clans are weak! Their power was broken by Scar's fall. Their just scheming to try and retake territory that they lost!" She said. Banzai shrugged.

"Some of them aren't to be trusted. They'd owe you nothing. You don't know what some of them are like." Banzai pointed out.

"That's right. I don't. And that's why I'll need your help. If they see that I've made peace with one of the great Hyena Clans, then they could be persuaded to join with us…" Kiava told them. Shenzi winced, knowing what she needed to do, but detesting it.

"Kiava, I _took _command of Carrocscirr! I crowned myself Matriarch and took these clanlands here! The Elephant graveyard was abandoned during the Civil War. Now it is ours again. Who do you think I fought in order to do that? They're no more likely to trust me then they are you, and far more likely to betray me then you."

"But if they see a fellow Matriarch-"

"That would mean nothing to them! I am _not _one of them!" Shenzi snapped. Then, her softening, she looked at Asante and Banzai.

"At least, don't go yourself. You're weakened from venom, and if they see you in this state, who knows how they'd react. That's even supposing that the ones Banzai met were telling the truth to begin with." Shenzi said acidly. "It's likely a trap! It could even be Leviath, trying to avenge Amun. I _know _bad ideas. Bad ideas are _my_ thing. Listen to me: This is a bad idea." She said. Banzai bit his lip, looking nervous.

"Shenzi… I know why you don't want to meet with the other clans… But we don't have a choice." He said. Shenzi glared at him. Then she sighed.

"Fine. But you're going to have a tough time convincing them if you can't stand up. If you _insist _on meeting them personally, you are _not _going alone, and we are going to have to make sure you can at least stand." She pointed out. Kiava nodded.

"It's okay. I won't be winning any bouts anytime soon, but I should be able to walk. He looked to Ookai.

"Okay then. Where did they say to meet them?" He asked. Ookai swallowed and looked away.

"They… want to meet at the top of Carrocscirr. The rival clans have taken control of the Ivory Tower. They've claimed it as their territory, now it's undefended." Shenzi stared at him. Ookai shut his eyes. Asante swore.

"Well." Kiava said, calmly. "This will be interesting."

* * *

"Sara."

"No… I don't want to talk right now…" Sara told her brother, firmly but no unkindly. She was lying alone. Inti and Koron looked at one another. Inti was concerned and he looked it. He moved over to where his sister lay, frowning.

"Sara. Don't worry. Hey. Listen." The red maned young lion nudged his sister until she turned to look at him. Inti gave her an encouraging smile. "I know it seems hopeless, but we'll rescue Danyal. You know we will. We won't abandon him or Sundar." He said firmly. Sara sniffed.

"Thank you Inti… But I'm not stupid and I am not naïve. I know that no one here _wants_ to leave him. But I also know we might not have a choice. Danyal might already be dead." She said.

Koron looked at the two of them. His eyebrows shifted. Finally he stepped forwards.

"Either way, you won't be able to do anything for him acting like this." He pointed out and the twins looked to him.

"What are you talking about?" Sara asked him. Koron shrugged.

"We might be able to do something soon. But until then, you aren't doing Danyal or yourself any favors by staying up all day and all night worrying about him." He hesitated, aware at how cold that sounded. He was just trying to be pragmatic, and despite everything, it still bothered him to see her so upset. "Sara… We're you're friends too." He told her. Sara looked at the two of them. She gave a small smile. She knew that he was right.

"I know you are…" She said. And she stood up and moved over to Koron and Inti, and nuzzled them both each. Inti smiled warmly, and though Koron blinked almost in alarm until she pulled away.

"I am just worried… Danyal and Sundar deserve better than this. They deserve _something. _It's not _fair_. She said. Koron nodded. He agreed. Though he said nothing, until Sara moved away. Then, when he was left alone with Inti he turned to his friend his smile vanishing.

"She really cares about him, don't she?" Koron said. It wasn't a question. Inti nodded slowly.

"Danyal is a great lion. But you've met him. What did you think of him?" he asked him. Koron froze, and thought back. True, he hadn't spoken to Danyal as much as he probably should have, especially since he was masquerading as the King. But he had to admit, the older lion had made an impression on him. As Sara had predicted, Koron had been taken aback to see the lion who had defeated a Shai'tan.

"He protects the ones he loves. The ones he cares for. His friends… and family. He'd do anything to help them. He already has. I saw him and the scars he had. I knew right then that Sara hadn't been exaggerating." Koron said. Then he sighed and turned and faced Inti for the first time in a while. He face was without his usual coldness, his eyes were wide, and almost fearful.

"Inti. They'll hurt him for that. You know they will." He said. Inti looked away.

"I know…"

"They _will_ kill him. If they haven't already it is only to draw out his pain. They will murder him for his compassion."

"We can still try-"

"The Shai'tan won't ever let him live. It's not just that he killed Sekmet, he _stood up to the Shai'tan _and he _won. _It's the same for all of is. I escaped. I escaped Rish'ut. You humiliated Mortread who was sent to find us. Between the three of us, we've all spat in the Shai'tan's eye too many times for them to ever leave us alive. They will hurt him and then they will kill him."

"He is a good lion." Inti said. "But he wouldn't have us give up hope."

"They'll kill him precisely _because _he's a good lion." Koron warned. Inti growled. "Do you want to tell _her _that?" He snapped, waving a paw over to where Sara had departed them. Inti scowled.

"He's MY friend too, Koron! I know you're new to the concept, but I don't enjoy imagining all the different ways they might murder my friend! Just stop it! What do you want me to say? Yes, he's going to die? Yes they're going to hurt him? Yes they're going to do _spirits _know what to the pair of them? Yes you're right? Danyal has no chance?!" He almost spat. Koron backed away, Inti's anger flaring like flame. He was angry now, angry and beginning to despair.

"I am sorry…" Koron said. He looked almost ashamed. Inti's anger began to cool.

"I just… We can't give up. We just can't. He didn't give up on any of us. He… deserves to live. He's a good lion. He's a friend! He's _our family! _Can't you understand that?" He snapped. Koron flinched.

"No. I can't. You know I can't. You know I never can." Koron said. Inti stepped back and looked back. And suddenly he knew that had misunderstood. He understood Koron now. Koron wasn't callous. He wasn't cruel. He wasn't uncaring towards Danyal, or to Sara's feelings. There was simpler explanation to his attitude towards the missing King.

He didn't _dare _hope that there was a way for Danyal to survive. He couldn't bring himself to _hope._

Because he had tried to hope once before. And he had lost everything, and no amount of hope or good wishes had save his mother, or his father or his little sister. Koron's entire family had been killed, and _hope _hadn't saved them.

"I… I am sorry Koron… But we _can't _give up on him."

"I am not saying you _should_ give up on him."

"No us. But _you_ have." Inti said. Koron looked at him. Then he looked away. Inti sighed.

"I know it's hard but…-"

"He's your friend. And a good lion. I understand." Koron said. And he _tried _to understand. He thought about Danyal. His actions spoke far more than his appearance. They were what showed him for who he was. So what of his own actions? What did his actions show of him? Koron thought about the things he had done in Golgorath. The fights. The savage beatings. The tortures yes. And others. Others he had inflicted upon those he was forced to fight. Out of desperation. Out of fear. Out of what he now recognized. Weakness.

Koron sighed. He didn't think he was a bad lion. But he was not a good lion either. None of them were. They'd murdered Seba, they'd fought in the pits.

"Inti…" Koron said as Inti began to walk away. The flame haired lion youth turned in surprise.

"What is it?"

"You're right… maybe I… Shouldn't be so pessimistic. Vitani has an idea. I have… a few of my own. If Danyal was dead, they'd have proclaimed it for all of the Imperium to hear… _Especially _since they believe him to be the King. They've not even announced his capture yet, which means that he _has _to still be alive. And while he's alive, there is always hope of freedom. I am living proof of that. If I can survive in those pits for over a year, then Danyal will be able to survive long enough for us to find him and help him… If he doesn't escape on his own. That's not _Hope. _That's logic." Koron said. His mind began to almost whir, as a dozen different ideas began to form. Hope was for the wishers and the dreamers. Logic though, logic he could manage.

"Koron… What are you saying?"

"Also logical, is the fact that _we've _escaped from Golgorath – so escape from the Shai'tan _is _possible."

"It's not possible. It's certain." Inti said firmly. Koron hesitated.

"Certain how?"

"Because I know Danyal. And I know Sara. And I know Vitani. I know _everyone _in this Pride, and I know how they will act, and I know _you. _I _know _that we'll think of something to save him."

"You can't _know _that. You're just hoping." Koron pointed out.

"No. It's not hope. Its trust. I trust Danyal. And he trusts us. So there isn't any other option, is there."

"Inti, I don't-"

"Koron. Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"We are friends. Do you trust me?"

"…Yes." Koron. Said.

"If you were captured by the Shai'tan again-"

"-And presumably not been executed on the spot…" Koron interjected. Inti ignored him.

"-would you _trust_ me to rescue you?"

"I'd say so, yes… But what does that-"

"And If I were to be… captured by the Shai'tan, or any of the Imperials, would you find a way to help me?" Inti asked. Koron frowned in annoyance.

"Of course I would! How could you think-?"

"Yes! But don't you see…" Inti explained. "You don't hope. You _trust_. I _know._ That's what it means to be friends." Inti said. Koron's expression shifted as he looked at Inti. He looked at his friends, and saw that Inti was right. Koron swallowed. Then nodded stiffly.

"Thank you Inti. Thank you for everything." Koron said. Inti frowned. What did he mean by that?

"Thanks for what?" He asked.

"I never realized… what it meant to have friends like you. The closest thing I had to a home was Golgorath. Now I have a real one. And you've shown me what it means to have friends. To have a family, a home, a people. But something I've just realized… is that it has to work both ways. I have to give back what you've given me here. Your friends are my friends now. And that means that Danyal is my friend too." He turned to Inti, his eyes glinted dangerously.

"So… What does that mean now?" Inti asked, returning a grin.

"It means… that the Shai'tan have made a _really _big mistake. The last time the Shai'tan tried to kill one of my friends, Golgorath was almost blown apart. I need to find Vitani… I think I might have an idea.

"Vitani!" Lukaan growled. The lioness looked away.

"She's not here."

"Where is she?! I have to speak to her. I need to…"

"Lukaan! Stop. Listen to me!" The white furred lion looked furious. Damu pushed herself between Lukaan and where the male was trying to move. The great king growled in annoyance.

"Get out of my way. Where is she?"

"She's busy! She's… interrogating… the captured wilddogs." Damu said carefully. Lukaan snarled.

"Let me in there. I'll rip them to shreds." He snarled in anger.

"Precisely. That's why you can't go in there. We need them alive. Maybe we can trade them for something. Maybe we can use them. Maybe they know something. I don't know. But I do know that you are not in any fit state to be doing this yourself! Leave it to Vitani. She knows what she is doing."

"I'll rip them to pieces…" Lukaan promised. Damu shook her head.

"No. Not like that. We're better than that. How would that make you any better than the Shai'tan?" She said. Lukaan hesitated, slowly he sank to his knees.

"I have got to do… something!" He said. Damu paused.

"I know… I know you want to. I know you want to do whatever it takes. I know you _would _if you could. I know that you would do anything. But you can't help Sundar like that. You can only help Sundar by doing what you can _here. _By doing what you can to hold this fragile alliance together." Lukaan stared at her.

"The Shai'tan have killed so many of my family… My friends… My mate… I… I can't bear the thought of losing her too…" Lukaan said. Damu took a short intake of breath.

"I knowLukaan. I _know_." She told him. Lukaan almost seemed to diminish before her eyes. He seemed to be almost in tears.

"I can't lose her… I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing… I thought that I was making her life secure… I was giving her a chance to lead a life _worth living. _I wanted to give her a home and family… I wanted her to have something of her own…" He looked up at Damu. "What father wouldn't want to give their daughter a crown? Was that so wrong?" His breath caught.

"Lukaan…"

"But she thought… she felt… She believed I was selling her to the Pride for the rest of our sakes… That I'd do something so cruel as to force a life she didn't want… And before… before I could show her…" He broke off.

"How do you manage it Damu?"

"Managed what?" Damu asked.

"How do you go on? Zuri is gone! I've never met your daughter! She's been missing more _months. _Day upon day. She could be anywhere in the Pridelands – hell she could be in the Imperium and we wouldn't know it! How do you deal with the not knowing? How do you know she is alive?! How do you _live _with yourself knowing that she is out there and that you are HERE! _SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER!" _Lukaan almost burst. Damu stepped back as if stung. For a brief moment, Lukaan knew he had gone too far as Damu recoiled as if in pain.

"Lukaan… Come with me." She said softly. Without another word, she turned around, and moved away from where the other rebels were staying. She made her way across some of the grass to where the watering hole was. It was deserted this time of day, and completely calm. Around them, the air was becoming greyer as the afternoon drew on. They moved the watering hole to a short hill, and beyond that, she stopped, and invited Lukaan to join her. When she turned around she could see the older lioness was in tears.

"Look around… Look at the Horizon." She told him. Lukaan did as he was bid and looked around. They could see the long green stretches of savannah and grasslands, for as far as the eye could see. The Pride Lands at its richest. Green and verdant… though there were of course darker patches, where the Shai'tan strength was more keenly felt. They could see trees and a faint shimmer some distance away the presence of the Great River… or was it the Zulu? They could see some animals far away, but from this distance, their presence was irrelevant.

"What am I looking for?" Lukaan asked softly.

"Zuri." She said. Lukaan blinked and turned to Damu.

"One day. One day I will see my little girl again. One day, she'll come over those hills. Or across the river. One day, I'll see her again. Maybe it will be tomorrow? Or the next day? Maybe it will be weeks from now… Maybe… Maybe I won't see her again until she is a lioness grown… I might not see her again until she is an adult, and had cubs of her own! Can you imagine that? But I will see her… And I look for her everyday… Because my worst fear is that she'll come this way, and miss us… and our only chance at being reunited passes us by."

Lukaan stared at her. Damu sighed.

"My daughter is alive. That is enough for me. She fled the Shai'tan, and I wasn't able to protect her… That is my greatest regret and my greatest shame. But I know that whatever happens… I know that I can see her again." She looked at Lukaan.

"You ask me how I can live with myself. I'll tell you how. Because if I died before I got the chance to see her again, then my failure would be complete. I can't afford to lose… I can't afford to die. I _have _to keep on living… so that I have the chance to see my daughter again. If I don't…" She broke off. "I can do some good. I can make the Pridelands a safer place… I can do that better here, then I can by trying to find her on my own. I have to do what I can to make the Pridelands safer for my daughter… for my friends… and for my King." Lukaan's expression almost broke.

"When you last saw your daughter… what's your memory?" Lukaan asked her. Damu closed her eyes.

"We'd finally found them again… The Shai'tan had nearly caught us at Rafiki's tree… We were separated. We'd found each other again… And… we had the tiniest respite. We had a few days of… calm. Of peace. We'd found the jungle. The cubs played… Danyal was whole and uninjured. Our families were together again. The pride was whole. It had been months since we had felt that." Damu said. She looked at Lukaan who sighed.

"The last time… I saw Sundar… She was cursing my name. She hated me. She fought I'd betrayed her… I was wrong… so very wrong. I have _nothing _to hold onto." Lukaan said, his voice breaking. Damu sighed.

"Then that is why. That is why you have to carry on. That is why you have to hold it together. You need to make it to see her again… To make peace, explain yourself, apologize, whatever it is that you _need. _Help destroy the Shai'tan… Do what you can to make the Pridelands a better place. For her sake. I know what it means to lose a daughter, Lukaan." The white lion closed his eyes and sighed.

"You… You are right…"

"I promise you, Lukaan. We'll find Sundar and Danyal… And we'll find Zuri and Kiava. We won't give up." She promised him.

* * *

**AN:**

**There you go!**

**In the first section, we get an interesting look at the Hyena cultures and rival clans. If you can't tell, Shenzi has something of a history with the other clan leaders. This won't be completely relevant – however, it is part of the internal history I have planned out for the Pridelands.  
It occurred to me, that with or without Scar, there were enough Hyenas to obliterate the Lions in an armed conflict – that's how Scar claimed power after all. But by LKII, their Power is completely broken and they are no longer a threat. I wonder why this is.**

**As usual with me, there is more at play here. I am laying the ground work for something else there, that may or may not be relevant.**

**As for the second part of the chapter, there is some really nice pieces with Koron – who I think was becoming a little more generic. This guy's been through a lot, and it was starting to show.**

**Another character who really needs a little more of the limelight is Damu who's been there since the beginning. However, I was worried that she wasn't showing through as much as Vitani and Almasi. This chapter shows that she's really been suffering in silence, but I think it does help show off her character a little more with an insight into how she deals with the world.**

**What are your views?  
Is there a good mix of characters?**

**Anyway, if anyone has any questions about the characters, stories, or even about other projects, just drop me a PM!**


	21. Chapter 20 - A Tale of Five Shaman II

**"Hello everyone. Sorry for the really long wait. Its been over 6 weeks. However, given the size of this chapter, its about 2500 words a week – which, at about 5,000 every two weeks, is business as usual for me. **

**I know. It goes on a bit doesn't it? It's because I have a lot that I wanted to show you – but I also wanted this flashback to be done with soon, so I can move on the main story And yes, it's a flashback. A pretty big one actually. Pay close attention to the histories you will see.**

**Note, this chapter does show some of the darker moments of the old Imperium, particularly what Shein-Su is capable of. So be warned, if you are a young reader, or of a sensitive disposition."**

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip: **Hello again! You expected Bhagari to die? Well, in all honestly, I came very close. The first draft _did _have a fatality – and believe it or not, I did explore my notes for the rest of the series to see what it would look like if Kiava were killed. It actually kinda works, and I spent some time discussing it with my beta readers. However, we decided that this was the best way to go forward for now. I never kill a character for the sake of it – only to prove a point. I didn't think it at the time, but its been interesting to explore the different cultures between the Lions, the Hyenas, the Asaitics, the Leopards and the Tigers. They feel very different. The savagery of the hyenas looks alien and terrifying to begin with – but, like many of the other cultures western civilisation thinks as 'uncivilised' there is a beauty to them, something unlike what we have, that is worth exploring.

Shenzi's past is a little more complicated. As she stated – she was captured by Sarabi at the end of Scar's reign, and was required to _earn _her freedom. The subject of which could be a side-story all in its own. In fact, it might well be.

The Black Hyenas, are Hyenas that have experiences melanism – and in this universe, developed into their own subspecies. Just as in reality, Panthers are merely Leopards or Jaguars (Depending on the continent) with pigmentation and genetic variation – but have been developed into a parallel species in my series – the Black Hyena Clan, are predominantly a species of darkened hyenas. However, the fact they are treated with suspicion by anyone other than their own kind, has resulted in a shallower genetic pool, meaning that the species is very genetically similar, resulting in a subspecies of black hyenas.  
I can science, me.

**Shadow: **Hello Shadow. The Hyenas are a complicated bunch. While the Lion Pride are semi automatous, with the Kingdoms borders rigidly defined, the Hyenas have much more fluidity in their alliances, borders, lands and rulers. It's very "Game of Thrones" with backstabberery and politics being common. This, combined with their natural violence, makes them dangerous. It also means gossip travels quickly.

Oh come now. I am not so heartless as to kill a mother, moments before seeing her child again, am I? Oh. Okay. Maybe I am. You'll just have to wait and see… I have _plenty _in store.

**Author: **Hello again! Some good questions! The Shadowlands are pretty big. They extend for miles and miles to the north, until it gradually becomes more and more mountainous and treacherous. The Elephant Graveyard is a valley around an area of particular seismic instability, though, and that is where Carrocscirr, roughly equivalent to the lands capital, lies.

There are as many Hyena clans as there are Prides. However, the closest to the Pridelands, are Shenzi's Clan (Called Spotted by everyone else, but not to themselves) the Striped Clan, the Brown Clan, and the Black Clan. Shenzi's Clan controls all of the territory north of the Pridelands, and the others control territory north of that. So Shenzi's territory is sandwiched, between the Outlands to the East, the Shadowlands to the Norther (Under rival control) the Swamplands, and eventually mountain lands to the west, and the Pridelands, below to the south. Shenzi's land is about a third of the size of the Pridelands.  
An interesting question though: Can the Pridelands support hyenas and lions in the same place? They didn't under Scar.

**SandyDragon:** You'll see a lot more of the Hyena clans, don't you worry. Though Kiava is still recovering from his poison, so he is vulnerable. He needs to be careful! Glad you enjoyed Kroon as well. His relationship with Sara and Inti is very different. Unlike them, he has no familial connection to the Pride.

Too bad you weren't so keen on Damu and Lukaan. Others seemed to like it, though I'll grant you, it was very dialogue centric. I'll try and weave something more sensory next time as well. Thanks for the insight. It's very useful, and will help me improve the series.

**Ultimateblack: **Ah. Eragon. There is an interesting series. The first was good enough to get me interested, and I really enjoyed the second book, but the third and fourth? Not so much.

Thank you for the review, and I am really glad you are enjoying it!

**LoveNeverDies: **Glad you enjoyed it! I hope everything's not too complicated! Between the Shai'tan, the Hyenas, the Rebels and the Shaman, I appreciate that there is a lot going on! I hope that my infrequent updates aren't making the story difficult to follow!

* * *

**Chapter 20: A Tale of Five Shaman II**

* * *

Emperor Shan-Al-Kir's rise to power began slowly. And Danyal was there to witness it.

It began with an outbreak of violence on the fringes of the Great Kingdom's lands.

It began with a smattering of attacks.

It began with fighting and the sounds of the fighting could be heard for great distances in many directions. With oh too familiar sounds of combat. The grim harmony of snarls and bloody howls of pain, shrieks of anger and other war cries rattled the air. It would be calm and peaceful, and then, suddenly, cries would ring out and the sounds of combat and blood would hit the air.

In a small patch of savannah, two great cats circled each other, their eyes narrow like slits, and fixed on each other. They collided with each other suddenly, and then more sounds erupted into the air. The greater of the two creatures, a great flame orange beast was mighty in size and strength, but its opponent had taken fewer wounds and seemed to be the most skilled of the pair.

It was unmistakably a lion. And it was unmistakably a tiger he fought. Neither of the pair were recognizable. It was a different Pride to the one that had fought with Marsade, and a different Tiger Lord too. The Shai'tan was lithe and agile and his eyes were an electric, piercing blue, instead of the hellish crimson visage born by both Emperors, past and future. Yet for all their differences, there was a depressing familiarity to them in their poise, and their stance. Here, long in the past though it might have been, a Lion stared down a Shai'tan. A Servant of the Emperor.

After a moment, the tiger struck out at the lion's head, who weaved under the blow and returned with a similar strike. The second blow caught the tiger in the jaw, and he let out a hiss of pain as he recoiled.

"**_Impressive. Agh… You lions aren't half as dumb as you look… Nor half as weak. But it doesn't matter. You're reign is coming to an end. You can't stop the rise of the Shai'tan Imperium. The Emperor will end you." _**The Tiger spoke, his voice grating. The lion didn't reply, but spat out a mouthful of blood. The tiger was wounded, but seemed unaffected by his injuries. In contrast, the lion was breathing heavily. His opponent clearly had much strength still within him. The tiger roared and charged forward with untamed aggression. The lion's claws arched across his chest, and lines of brilliant crimson blood burst into being. It didn't slow the tiger though. The tiger endured the pain, and withstood the blow. And then he was within the lion's guard. His head darted forwards and seized the lion neck in his jaws. The lion's eyes widened with panic as he tried to pull away crying out as the tiger struggled to get a grip. All it would take was a moment. An instant. If he got a hold of his neck, if he could find a moment's pause, then he could snap his foe's neck like a twig beneath the paw of a wildebeest. Growling through gritted teeth, the two struggled for a moment in the death lock. Then, the lion gave a great cry and pulled away. The tiger's jaws raked across his neck as he did, drawing blood as he did so. The wounds were deep, but not lethal. With a triumphant roar, the lion slammed into his foe with full force, bucking as he did so. The tiger stumbled and fell back, and the lion pushed.  
The tiger tumbled to the ground.

"**_ARGH!"_** The tiger gave a cry of fear and rolled away, moving with just half a moment to spare before the lions claws slammed back into the ground, his claws puncturing earth.

Then, around him, the grasslands flew apart as more and more shapes entered the glade with growls and roars. More lions, come to aid the first.

That was too much for the tiger. Aware of his chances of victory, or even survival plummeting before his eyes, the tiger gave a disgusted growl, and turned tail, his claws vanishing back into his paws, and then he was running as fast as any cheetah, trying to get away.

"Coward!" The lion shouted, but he was didn't pursue the Shai'tan. Instead, he knelt to the ground and gave a sigh, his adrenaline leaving him now that the fight was over, and he could no longer stand on his feet without it coursing through his veins, and the _thrill _burning in his heart. It always took him aback. How one moment, one would have the fury and the will to fight with every ounce of their strength. And then that strength could vanish like mist once the danger was passed. It left him drained, and his almost lost his footing. One of the lionesses rushed to his side, and checked his injuries, but the lion shrugged her off.

"Not now… It's important. That wasn't just a new Shai'tan. I knew him. That was Lord _Visha_." He told them when they had returned to him. The new lions looked at one another in shock at that. The name was known to them. There were four more in total. Three lionesses, and a second male, and it was he who growled at the mention of the name.

"That can't be!" She said. "I saw him only last season! I met his cubs… He wouldn't have…" He trailed off, staring after the tiger in wonder. He shook his head in disbelief.

"He already tried to kill Shaana. And you just watched him fight me. He didn't seem to recognize me though." His comrade added. The older lion sighed at that.

"He has chosen to join _Shein _in this madness. That's another one." He said. He slammed a paw into the ground. "What makes them think they can trust him? _Why _do they turn on us at the words of a mad tiger?" He growled in frustration. The injured lion crawled back to his feet, wincing as he put weight on an injured limb.

"Who knows? Who cares? Enough of the Tiger Lords are willing and able to turn on us, and we don't know who until it's too late. That's all that matters. I've heard terrible stories already. Prides being attacked… even wiped out entirely. It's not just us lions either. I came after Visha because he murdered a family of Cheetahs and I know for a fact he attacked one of my Pride's vassal Leopard Tribes as well, even before Shaana, or myself."

"Leopards and cheetahs?! What _for!_ What had they done to him? What quarrel does he have with either of them, I thought it was _us _that Shein-Su hated."

"None, as far as I know. The attacks are entirely unprovoked." He said grimly.

"Blast it… We have to inform the High King of Visha's betrayal…" The lioness said, looking angry and hurt.

"That's the third, in just a few days." One of the lionesses said, helping the injured male up.

"How many is that now?"

"I've lost count. Where is High-King Kwanza? What he going to do about this" She asked him directly.

"He's meeting with Lord Ba'alin at Crown Rock,"

"Who's that?"

"He's the _Voice_ of the Tiger Lords… Those of them who haven't betrayed us that is. But with Visha changing sides, and Spirits know how many others doing likewise, who knows how many that actually is?"

"He's actually going to talk with a _Tiger Lord?! _At a time like this? Is the King mad?" She asked in shock

"No. But he _is _desperate. Tiger Lords are defecting to Shan-Al-Kir in droves and they're attacking prides, leaps, tribes, rouges, you name it entirely without pattern. Kwanza hopes that dealing with Ba'alin might restrain some of the Shai'tan. He needs to know about Visha, and the others." The lion said. They were right. They needed to report this information. Their own lands were no longer safe. They needed the safety and security that Crown Rock offered them. The group of lions departed the glade quickly, leaving it deserted.

Deserted save one.

* * *

Danyal had watched the fight anxiously. It hadn't been the first he'd seen, though it had been the first he'd seen that marked such a resounding victory for those fighting the Shai'tan.

Danyal had found himself unable to return to his proper time and place, he had decided to make use of his time here however he could. It weighed heavily on his conscience. Based on the appearance of Marsade and Rafiki, he had deduced that what he was witnessing was in some way a reflection of past events. Something in his bones told him that this was no fabrication, no fiction that Marsade tormented him with. He knew he was watching the events Rafiki had described. The last time the Shaman had united.

_And the world burned in light. _Rafiki had said.

For some reason or other, Marsade wanted to show him something. But with no idea who or what he was supposed to see, he was left aimless.

"What am I supposed to do? Wander this way and that, seeing what I see?!" Danyal had shouted at the heavens. But received no reply. The Spirits and the Kings were as dead to his pleas here as they were to him in the waking world, and were just as ambivalent to his suffering.

That was something at least.

He had feared that his defiance of Marsade would have earned him yet another round of unspeakable torture at the Fire Priest's hands. He shuddered at the thought and alone though he was, he still felt a spike of shame that he did so. The earthly torment had been bad enough. It had been excruciating, unbearable. But then, not content with harming his body, Marsade had… done… _something… _to his mind. Splintered it wide open and hooked his claws inside it, looking for information. Knowledge. It had been ripped from his memories. His mind invaded and almost torn apart in the process. And Marsade had been in full control the whole time. Every dark moment, every worst day, every guilt, terror, loss and pain had ever experienced had been dragged up out of the darkest places of his mind and he'd been made to experience them once more.

He'd rather die than go through that again. It turned his stomach to even see the shade of Marsade before him in the ancient past.

But whatever his reasons were, that was all Danyal could do now. Wandering the lands, attempting to interact with the visions he came across. He'd lost track of how long he'd been there. At least hours. Days likely. Maybe longer. He'd seen half a dozen different fights, throughout that same period.

They weren't all the same. Some involved the Lions, kings and rouges, some involved cheetahs, or leopards. There were differences. But there were also patterns in their attacks. Patterns that he recognised.

He had watched, as more and more tigers were swayed by the words of Emperor Shan-Al-Kir. He'd seen visions of the times when Shien-Su came to them, and spread his words. Whether they came from his own mouth, or from the forked tongue of one of his followers, Danyal could recognise the bile of the Shai'tan when he heard it. The preaching of strength and power was unmistakeable. The speakers were not always welcome, in fact they were often met with hostility. Though few would inflict harm upon a creature for espousing mere _words._ And so, it was words that Emperor Shan-Al-Kir used. Words like poison.

He'd watched as some of them were swayed by his logic and it was like watching a rot or decay as his words that seeped into creature's hearts and festered there.  
Shein talked of nature. Of life. He even spoke of the Great Circle. He talked of balance, and of order. He talked of passion, and emotion, and of _feeling. _He talked of the thrill of the hunt, and he talked of obeying ones heart, and being true to yourself.

And he talked of those who would demand you did otherwise. Of those who would shackle you with demands of undeserved mercy. Those who would bind you with laws designed to deny you your hearts true desires. He offered a simplicity. An uncomplicated philosophy. Strength, was the key.

By what right, could the king, any king, demand of you?

It was a kind of freedom, Danyal supposed. A kind of release.

But it was evil to his eyes.

He offered them only the freedom to oppress. That was the paradox. He gave them leave to kill. The freedom to murder, and steal and destroy. The freedom to hurt and twist and lie. The freedom from conscience that was what Shein-Su offered them. A kind of madness.

That was the ideology of the Shai'tan.

And it was as corrupt and twisted in his own time, as it was here, in the Old Imperium. The Shai'tan Imperium under Ben-Kai-Ra had learnt the lessons of Shan-Al-Kir well.

He had heard the same words from Mortread and Sekmet. Their cruelty and their passion was an echo of the words Shein used now, in this place.

He needed to find a way to leave. To end this dream, or vision or whatever it was filtering through his skull. The relief from his torture was welcome, and a return to the waking world would mean a return to the agony of Marsade's whims, but even so, he had to return.  
He couldn't leave Sundar there alone. Not with Marsade. Not with the insane Shai'tan, Mortread. She was in danger back there, and that was enough. He had to _get out._ But whatever it was that he was meant to see, he would not leave until he saw it.  
So he followed the visions. And what he saw filled him with disgust.

More attacks.

More fights.

More betrayals.

More deaths.

* * *

It continued for what must have been days before Danyal saw what he knew at once to be his destination.

It was a Lion den, a great rock of enormous magnitude. A single, solitary peak of stone, the shape of a teardrop, piercing the heavens. Windswept smooth, uncracked and seemingly unblemished. It was surrounded by other rocks of lesser magnitude, creating a flower like structure. It was tall and proud and he knew what it was before either of the lions he had been following spoke.

"Crown Rock." The younger lion said, looking up in awe with some of the lionesses. The older male smirked.

"Impressive… isn't it?"

"_That _is the heart of the Great Kingdom? _That _is Kwanza's _Throne_?" He said, looking awed. And Danyal had to agree, it was a magnificent sight. As tall as Pride Rock, and glowing in splendour in the afternoon sun.

"Aye. That is the seat of his power. In the heart of the Crownlands – greatest and mightiest of the Lion Prides. Even the other Lion Kings kneel before him. Come." And they went, with Danyal following at a short pace behind. An ever present onlooker and observer. It was a surreal experience.

The lions made their way towards the centre of the great stone. Eventually, they were met by other lions who greeted them and lead the way.

"Who approaches?" Said a familiar voice. Danyal almost jumped. Watching them, was a familiar lioness. _Neema_, Jino's Queen from before, from his first encounter with the lions. The lioness struck an imposing figure, and the two male lions and their lioness's bowed momentarily to their fellow monarch.

"Just us. And our cubs" The young said, clearly already familiar with the queen. Neema nodded seemingly recognising them on sight. She smiled at the small form of a one of the Pride's cubs who was trying to hide behind its mother.

"It's good to see you…" She said, though her smile turned to a frown upon seeing the injured male.

"Marsade! We have injured over here!" She called over her shoulder. In a few moments, the Shaman appeared, his staff held tightly in his hands, and looking tired. The Orangutan paid no heed to his own exhaustion.

"I am all right…" The male lion said, though he almost stumbled when he took a step forward. Marsade immediately began examining their wounds, taking several herbs from inside a shell on his staff, which he crushed with the flat of the spike on his staff, and began to apply the juices, muttering a shamanic chant as he did so.

Danyal couldn't help wondering if the herbs were merely a theatrics to disguise his shamanic gifts, working to silently heal the wound and ease away pain.

"What happened to you?" Marsade asked him, sounding concerned. The male winced at his prodding.

"This? Just a souvenir from Lord Visha. He's turned on us as well."

"_What?!"_ Marsade balked.

"You were right… More and more of the Tiger Lords are declaring themselves Shai'tan and joining up with Shan-Al-Kir and his Imperium. Visha and I fought after he murdered half a dozen creatures in my lands. Sadly he escaped. Even now he's joining his new Emperor." Marsade pulled away, his eyes dark.

"I wish I killed him when I had the chance." He said darkly, thinking on the Emperor as he frowned. "So has Visha turned on us as well. I can't believe it. How do we know who is whose side anymore?"

"If its trying to kill you, it probably not on your side." Neema offered. At Marsade's scowl Neema apologised. "It's been difficult since what happened at the Far River." She admitted. One of the males cocked his head he hadn't heard of this.

"What happened?" he asked cautiously. Neema spat.

"A group of genuine Tiger Lords tried to remove Shein from power. Shein managed to persuade one of them to back down with that forked tongue of his, and then murdered all three of them. _Then _he spent two weeks tracking down their mates and cubs, and had them torn apart, their bodies scatted and left for carrion. He's ruthless." Her eyes narrowed.

"It's hard enough to persuade a Tiger lord to risk themselves in a fight they don't see as theirs. It's even harder if they risk bringing ruin upon their family if they even try." She said, though her eyes didn't look too sympathetic. Perhaps she thought the tigers ought to have tried harder? In any case, their discussion was interrupted by a roar to the right of them, and Marsade flew to his feet.

"It's the king!" He said quickly. They moved swiftly to the other side of Crown Rock.

Approaching from a distance, was what Danyal could only describe as the largest lion he had ever seen. Kwansa the Great was a might golden lion, with a huge bronze mane that wreathed his head. Standing next to him were a pair of lionesses, and with them, stood Rafiki.  
The mandrill leaned on his staff awkwardly, and as they approached, he smiled at Marsade.

"So you've come back to us at last! I was beginning to grow concerned." He said. Marsade nodded, and Danyal noted that he looked different. There were a few lines of scars on his form, and his eyes were darker. It was a subtler thing, but somehow Danyal knew that this was a slightly older Marsade then the one who he'd seen with the lions before. Some time had clearly passed. A few months perhaps?

"I couldn't leave Jino or Neema or Kono now could I? Not after Kucha's death. But I had to track down a couple of the other Tiger Lords to find out what was going on." Marsade said. He didn't looked pleased.

"You were _looking_ for other Tiger Lords? What for?" Rafiki asked.

"I had hoped they'd be able to tell me what had happened with Shien. And what was happening with his Imperium. His rebellion against the Great Kings is spreading like wildfire. I wanted to get a grip on the scale of the madness."

"And?"

"I never got an answer. The Tiger Lords don't keep in one place as much as the Lion Kings. I only knew the definitive location of two of them, and by the time I found them, they weren't very talkative. One had already had his throat clawed out by one of Shein's lieutenants. The other attacked me when he saw me and declared himself free of the Lion kings and their '_puppet_ _Shaman_'."

"What? Are you okay? What happened?"

"He died. In the struggle" Marsade, his eyes looking cold. Rafiki's eyes widened, and he nodded slowly. It wouldn't have been much of a struggle.

"Ah… I see." He said. Now Marsade was looking away to him, and towards the High King. It was easy to tell who was who. Kwanza, the High King. The creature was large – larger than Mufasa or even Ahadi maybe. His fur was like polished copper, and his mane was a magnificent golden colour. His eyes were a bright yellow, and they were wise and compassionate eyes. Not a young Lion by any means, but neither did he look old. He looked wise and experienced, but strong and in his prime. Marsade approached Kwanza and bowed his head.  
"Greetings your majesty. It is good to finally meet you in person. Rafiki speaks very highly of you." He told him. The High King nodded giving a warm smile.

"Any friend of Rafiki is a friend to me, though I am given to understand that you are good friends with King Jino?" he said.

"I have stayed among their Pride for a time, yes." Marsade admitted. Kwanza nodded.

"Then you are doubly welcome here, Shaman. King Jino is one of the greatest kings among us, and I value his friendship. He is good lion." He said.

"So was Kucha." Marsade said sadly.

"Indeed. I didn't know him nearly as well as his brother, and I regret that. Now I never will." Kwanza said.

"Its busy here now…" Marsade commented. Kwanza nodded.

"There are many Lion Kings here, Shaman. The attacks have become frequent.. There isn't one here who hasn't heard of the Emperor by now. Shein's enflamed aggression in the minds of dozens of followesr nad let them loose along our borders. Many of the Kingdoms fled the attacks, to present and united counter to the Shai'tan. They came here. To my Land. As High-King, they are all welcome here. Crown Rock is a sanctuary. A safe haven, for the Lion Kings to retreat to in times of conflict. That's why you can see so many Males, so many lionesses and so many cubs gathered in one place." He said. Marsade looked around, and couldn't help but smile as he counted over a dozen cubs in one corner.

"It's magnificent." Marsade said.

* * *

And it was. Danyal watched in awe. He had speculated that, like Pride Rock, Crown Rock contained a den of some kind within it, but the sheer size and scale of it took him aback. At the king's summons, many lions made their way to him. And not all were in Kwanza's Pride. Marsade looked around in shock as many of them arrived. There were a dozen different prides gathered, and Danyal shared in his surprise. After the assembled kings had gathered Danyal recognised a pawful of them. He saw Neema and King Jino – and also others he had witnessed in his wanderings of the ancient land. Those who had survived Tiger attacks and Ben-Kai-Ra's insurrection.

" That's why I am determined to protect it." Kwanza said. "Duna," He turned to a small bluebird who hovered nearby. Clearly the Kings Majordomo. "Please, call the rulers together. There is an announcement I wish to make." He told the bird. It whistled and swooped away.

After a while, the rulers had gathered, and it was an impressive sight.

"My friends… Fellow Kings and Queens of the Land." Kwanza said slowly. "By now you will no doubt know of what has happened. We are under attack. Not from without, not from some rouge Pride, or gathering… But from _within_. Tiger Lords within our own kingdom have rebelled against their rightful rulers, renouncing our laws and our authority. They have decided that they are a law unto themselves. They think this gives them the authority to kill at will. To take what they want. They think we are too weak to do anything to stop them. They are mistaken." He gave a growl. "Ba'alin. Come out here." He called. A great Tiger emerged from a den nearby, and some of the lions gave a cry of alarm at the sight of him. Jino gasped, and a lioness who could only be Askari, Kwanza's Queen, who was clearly heavily pregnant. At the sight of the tiger she looked at her mate in alarm. Ba'alin took a step forward, looking uncomfortable. Kwanza smiled encouragingly.

"You all know Ba'alin. He has represented his people here at Crown Rock for as long as any of us, in those rare occasions that we need to communicate or deal with the Tiger Lords as a whole. Those who known him will know him to be good natured and loyal, and those who don't will trust my own word on the matter. I conferred with him about our current situation… He is the voice of the Tigers. I have already spoken with him, and I think it's important to listen to what he has to say." Kwanza said. Ba'alin looked around and swallowed, but before he could speak a voice rang out.

"What can he tell us that we don't already know? Your majesty, I really don't think-" A lioness interrupted.

"Emperor Shan-Al-Kir." Ba'alin said softly. There was silence. "You heard me." Ba'alin said. "Shan-Al-Kir. Don't you want to know who he is? _What _he is?" He asked them. There was quiet. Ba'alin nodded. "You don't. That is why I am here. You know who _I_ am. My name is Ba'alin. We Tiger Lords, we don't have kings or queens or rulers. We keep to ourselves. But sometimes we are forced to act as a group. And in those situations we select from among us, a _voice. _One Tiger lord to represent the other families who live on the borders of your territory, as the King has stated." He explained.  
Not far away, Danyal listened intently. He had never heard of such a thing from Sundar. This was an old part of the world. His curiosity was aroused now though. Just who _was _Shan-Al-Kir?

"The Shai'tan known as Shien-Su is a criminal. The name Shan-Al-Kir is a title he has taken, a name he chose. To all of us, he was known only as Shien. The title he clings to of _Lord_ is as false as the title _Emperor _– he forfeited that title upon killing his own father. I think it's important to get a few things sorted. Shien is a _renegade_. Worse than any rouge you've even heard of. A mad creature. His cruelty and his malice are without match. He's a true Shai'tan." He looked around. "For those who don't know, that means _accursed one. _He's an outcast. He was exiled months ago from his family and his home." He swallowed.

"But… He didn't take the news too well. He was exiled for a dozen crimes. We know for a fact that he murdered his own father, a Lord called _Naaz_, and at least two brothers, in a deadly fight. What very few know is that the fight that was sparked when Shein took an unwilling tigress as his mate. A tigress who was already mated to Shien's own brother." He said, unable to hide the contempt in his voice.

One of the lionesses gave a gasp in horror. Ba'alin nodded. "Needless to say she was less than _enthusiastic_ and refused his… advances… _but he didn't care_. He didn't _stop_. He _took_ what he wanted, as he always has." Ba'alin gave a distasteful grimace. "He left her with terrible injuries as a result. When her mate heard about it, he attacked Shein in a rage. There was no fight to speak of. It was too quick for it to be called. Shien-Su murdered his brother practically on the spot and without a moment's hesitation. Then he killed their father, Naaz, who was devastated at his other son's death, and at the fact that his beloved son had done what he had to a tigress. I know this from the lips of the tigress he attacked, though she died of her injuries not long after."

"He just left her there!"

"Indeed. She was discarded without a moment's thought." He looked around. "That is the _thing _those Shai'tan are deliberately choosing to follow, to take as their leader. So don't think for a moment that this sit well among the rest of the Tiger Lords. It appals and repulses us as much as it does you. But there is little we can do about it." He said.

"Little you can do about it?! Shan-Al-Kir, or whatever he called himself was under _your_ authority, your rule! If you knew he was capable of this, why wasn't he dealt with at the time?" Marsade snapped angrily. "How many others have been killed since then because of _your _incompetence?" He said. Shein's eyes narrowed into anger, and Danyal was taken aback to see a sudden burning. A primal anger. A soaring rage. Then the tiger controlled himself, and the anger seemed to melt away. He breathed in.

"Our paws were tied in the matter! There were those who called for his execution, and believe me, we would have been _happy_ to do so. But… We are not allowed to execute our own criminals. The High-King's decree is that only _he _can pass a death sentence in his lands and by the time a messenger arrived at Crown Rock, Shein had killed his captor and escaped. He also slaughtered the party who went after him, and murdered their families for a grand finale! If you want to blame anyone, then blame Kwanza!" he said.

Rafiki raised a hand.

"The only person to blame for this crisis is Shan-Al-Kir himself. It's no one else's fault." He said firmly. Begrudgingly, Marsade nodded. Ba'alin continued slowly.

"We had no way of following him, so he was declared exiled – to be killed if he ever returned to our lands. Which was the best we could do given he'd already escaped and no different to passing the sentence of death in his absence." Ba'alin told them.

"So that's it then. We know who Shein is now. He's nothing more than a rabid killer. He will be hunted down and destroyed for his crimes; that I swear to you all." Kwanza said.

"He's a murderer and worse, but it goes beyond that. His… experiences… have changed him. He was able to take what he wanted, in all its forms. Meat. Power. Mates. Prestige. Land. Whatever he wanted. And _no one _was able to stop him. He realised that there was nothing _stopping him. _Nothing caging him. It was all an illusion. A construct. Nothing tangible. That knowledge had shifted his perspective. He rules by fear. And he fears nothing. So he doesn't see any reason to be ruled. He can't be intimidated, he can't be threatened. He will only submit to that which is stronger than him. He won't submit to any rule or law that can't best him. And he is spreading this ideology, this perspective around him like a plague. Those who follow him are the ones who embrace this new outlook. Strength is the only true measure of worth. And might, the only restriction." Ba'alin said.

"An enlightening history lesson, Ba'alin." A voice said, and Danyal turned with a number of other eyes and saw Jino standing up. "But it doesn't help us."

"Agreed." Askari said. "No disrespect to you, but Shein is a threat to us all, as are other Tiger Lords. We don't know who's on whose side anymore. Shien must be dealt with… before he infects every Tiger Lord with these delusions." She said. Ba'alin nodded.

"That's simple enough to fix. I know where he is."  
There was a long pause.

"What."  
"I know where he is. He wishes to speak with High King Kwanza. Ruler to ruler. To discuss… Peace." He said. Danyal stared in disbelief. Were his ears deceiving him?

"_Peace!? _He murdered Kucha, and Erevue, and Nyah, and Spirits know how many others! He's inspired a dozen other Tigers to do the same! Between them, they've brought blood and death to the Great Kingdoms and they think we'll be cowed? They think we'll just let them get away with it!"

"If you want peace, then you have to make concessions. If not, you have the combined might of a dozen Lion Kingdoms gathered here today. You would have to concede little to force him to back down in such circumstances."

"We'll concede _nothing!" _Marsade hissed.

"That isn't your choice, nor under your authority." Kwanza said firmly. Marsade turned in anger and Rafiki took his friend's arm.

"Marsade. Come with me." Rafiki said, and moved away from the group. Shaking his friend free Marsade's eyes flashed. With a jet of flame, he propelled himself through the air some distance away, and landed into a crouch. Rafiki scowled at the prominent display of power which drew stares and cries of alarm and shock.

* * *

Out of ear shot but within sight of the gathering, Marsade finally spoke.

"I can't believe-"

"Marsade. Kwanza has a duty to his Pride. If he can avert a war, if he can punish Shien without plunging the land into chaos and civil war, then he has to take that path. Don't be so blind as to not see the consequences of meeting this Emperor blow for blow. He _wants _a war. Going headlong into this is playing into his paws. _Think._" Rafiki urged him.

"There are a lot of lions here-"

"Which means a lot of lions will be killed." A voice said.

Marsade and Rafiki turned, and Marsade's eyes widened.

"You!"

"Yes. Me." Said Yessen. The baboon looked at Marsade, and extended a hand in greeting. Danyal gagged in shock. He knew the Shaman, who had been teaching and training Sundar. He recalled him falling out of the sky with Rafiki with shard of stone in his chest, and he knew of the baboon's power. And yet, while Rafiki had implied that he and Marsade had been once friends, it was even harder to imagine him looking at Marsade with the friendship now in his eyes. Marsade turned to Rafiki.

"What did you bring him here for?!" He asked in annoyance. Yessen frowned.

"Nice to see you too. It's only been a century." He grumbled.

"We came to talk some sense into you." Another voice added. Danyal whirled around and found himself face to face with two more shaman, one of whom he recognized as Margane. The other could only be Halien, the final shaman. The two females, a gibbon and chimpanzee, joined the baboon, orangutan, and mandrill.

"Marsade. We're concerned about you." Halien said. The young ape looked at her old friend with wide eyes. Marsade smiled.

"_Concerned_ about me? Hah! What do we have to worry about! You're all here! All of you! With you here, we can deal with Shan-Al-Kir. Forget a gathering of Lion Kings – this is a gathering of Shaman. We can wipe his filth off the face of the earth!" Margane said excitedly.

"No, Marsade. That's not what we meant. We can't –"

"Of course we can! Margane, your power over the rivers and rains of the world is unmatched by either of us! Halien, you can command the whole might of the storm! Wind and lighting and are natural to you as breathing. Yessen, the very earth trembles when you order it! It would take _nothing_ to make Shan-Ali-Kir tremble as well." Marsade said. Yessen glanced at Rafiki, looking concerned.

"Marsade. We're not assassins. Our role on this earth is not to police its people. It's to protect it's the world. We are its guardians, not its gods." Yessen said. Marsade's smile faltered.

"What?" He asked in mild confusion. Clearly he didn't see the distinction.

"We could destroy Shan-Al-Kir. But the damage we would do in the process is… substantial. We need to show restraint."

"_Restraint_? That thing is a monster! Mercy has its place, Yessen, but there is a thin line between compassion and weakness. Shein murdered Kucha in cold blood. He represents a huge threat to this land. If he were alone, I'd be more inclined to agree with you, but he is _turning _people, Yessen. What if he kills more of our friends? You can't seriously believe he should be left alive!"

"No. I think Shein deserves to die for that he's done. He deserves what is coming for him. But it is not our place to administer justice. Not our role. The Shaman of this world have to stay detached. There are rules. Conditions to the power we wield. It's intended for another purpose than its mortal affairs." Yessen said. Marsade stared at him.

"So you agree with Margane. You don't think this is our fight." He said. Yessen winced.

"Please Marsade. Try to understand. It's not that we don't _want _to help. But there could be consequences of our interference. The Power of the Creation is a part of the circle of life itself. A remnant of the Great Spirit's divine might." He held out his staff, and it levitated few inches from him. An emerald green glow encompassed it when it left his hand, and Danyal emitted a loud gasp when he saw it, for each of the other rods emitted its own ethereal light. Blue, Green, Gold, White and Red, dancing like crystals of ice, sparks of flame or shimmers of intense radiance. It was mesmerizing. Yessen voice spoke again, distorted by his own magic.

"_The powers of the earth maintain the balance of the world, Marsade. The tremors of the earth. Its volcanos. Its fissures and its groundquakes. Its mighty mountains and its rolling hills. Its mudslides and avalanches. The stone and the Earth,_" His voice returned to normal. "Those are my spheres of influence, Marsade and it those I have authority over. Not among Tiger Lords and Lion Kings.

"Yessen. I _know _you think that I've been frivolous with my powers. I know you think I use them for trivial thing. Don't think that I don't _understand _the responsibility it takes to wield them. Please don't think I don't. But I have a responsibility, a duty to my friends as well!" Marsade said.

"No. You don't. Or you shouldn't have." Halien said sadly. Marsade ground his teeth. How could he make her understand?

Halien turned to Yessen.

"When was the last time we met? More than two of us I mean?" She asked him.

"That would have been about two hundred years ago. At the eruption of Ecru-Crag Mountain." He said. As Yessen said it, Marsade remembered. That Fire Mountain had been building for years, decades even. They ought to have been prepared for it. But they thought had enough time for years before it burst its crater. They were seriously mistaken. They had miscalculated. Instead of erupting out of its top, it had gathered its store of magma into the side of its chamber and its might had been unleashed prematurely. The fiery eruption had shaken the earth and shook the very sky for days. They had come to the mountain, to find hell descending upon the earth. Rock, fire and ash rained around them. Toxic gasses filled the air, burning, searing, heat blasting vegetation and animal life apart. Magma raging down the side of the mountain, an explosion in avalanche form crashing down with each pulse of its crater, spilling out boiling rock.

It had been a terrible sight.  
There, He, Yessen and Halien had averted near catastrophe. The volcano's initial blast proved to be a catalyst. A hundred other craters of magma below the earth began to rupture, roused into fury by the shaking of the earth. Blast upon blast, a chain reaction igniting the very ground itself, that Marsade feared would rip the very skin of the earth apart.

There were very few memories of Marsade that frightened him. It was one of less have half a dozen events Marsade recalled with genuine fear. Where they felt their duty to protect the world was in danger of failing.

The Shaman had stood there though.

The raging inferno of the world was eased. Its anger tamed, its hatred cooled. The magma blastes subsided, the heat leached form pools of lava like poison from a wound. The deadly miasma of the craters purified and restored by Halien's powerful sky sorcery, and the tremors of the ground eased.

The danger they had all felt had been averted. The might of a planet tamed by the sorcery of three shaman.

"Ecru Crag." Marsade repeated.

"Do you believe that Shien presents even a thread of the danger we witnessed at Ecru-Crag?"

"No… This is different."

"What about the Dark Wave?" Margane asked. "When the see surged and threatened to drown the world in its deluge? We were more desperate then. So desperate that with only five of us, we contemplated sacrificing an entire continent, just to preserve the remaining seven?" Margane added.

"Shien is just as dangerous as any disaster we've faced!" Marsade said. "He's corrupting people. Turning them. Making them like _him. _He's not just a Rouge Warlord with a bloodlust, a power trip and a god complex! He's an _infection. _One that needs to be purged out." Marsade said angrily.

"What of you, Rafiki? You've not said a word." He asked. The mandrill was very quiet. "Marsade, Kwanza is a very dear friend. But the last time all five of us were gathered, we acted to avert a meteor storm so large, that a single piece of it would have wiped out entire species."

"Yes! When we worked together, our powers were more powerful then ever!"

"Our powers were at their height when the world was in danger, Marsade. Your finest act as Jino's friend was to extinguish that firestorm, alone. It ought to have taken two of us at least."

"Halien was too far away. I had to act when you did."

"And it was your finest act. And then, the following generation, you saved them yet again from a plague." He added. Marsade nodded. That was true. "We are healers, Marsade. Healers and defenders of this world. Not its rulers. We protect the world from the natural and the supernatural, but that is the extent of our jurisdiction. Don't you think that if we were _meant _to act in situations such as this, it would be easier? Your magic is wild and untamed at the best of times, you have very limited control over it _except _in times of disaster."

"I can control it just fine!" Marsade snapped angrily.

"I don't doubt it. I just don't know if you should or not." Yessen pointed out. "This situation with Shan-Al-Kir, is an earthly matter. It must have an earthly solution. We all have a role to play in this world, Marsade. That is the role the Kings must play. To lead. To bring order and law to a chaotic and cruel world. Ours is just to make sure the world is there to bring order _to_." Rafiki said. Marsade stared at them, seething in quiet fury at the injustice of it.  
"I don't believe you! You don't want to get involved. You think that we should just leave them to it. To let what will be, be and not to interfere. You want me to abandon Jino and Neema, and leave them to avenge Kucha by themselves."

"Who said anything about avenging him? I thought you wanted to protect the survivors? Listen to yourself, Marsade." Yessen said. "We need to think. To consider. To contemplate –"

"No, _you _listen to me Yessen. This is the _right thing to do, _I am _sure _of it! Rafiki, please, Kwanza is your friend! Askari is your friend! Hang what we are _supposed _to do! Let's do what _feels _right!" He said.

"I… Don't know, Marsade. Yessen has a point. I don't think we should get involved…"

"If Kwanza were here, right now in front of you, would you save his life? If he were mortally wounded, and you alone could heal with you?"

"Of course I would, I am a healer, I wouldn't turn away-"

"You see? This is no different! This is us, _healing _the world. Healing the pride!"

"Of course it's different! It isn't up to us to decide this world's destiny!"

"_Destiny _is just accepting inevitability! Well I don't accept it! I don't accept that we should stand aside!"

"Marsade, your anger is _right, _your feelings are _right. _But your thoughts aren't. You are _only _feeling, Marsade, you aren't thinking as well." Halien said. She swallowed.

"Think about Marsade. If we interfere now, what about next time? We don't age, Marsade. We endure. Our powers bring with them the blessings of Immortality. We are Eternal! If we interfere now in the affairs of the mortals, won't be become obliged to do so every time? What is to stop them from bringing every one of their problems to us? To bring every war lord and murderer to us to deal with? I want to help Kwanza, but what of all the other Lion Kings gathered here? Are we bound to deal with every War Lord every time one rises?" She asked him.

"If necessary." Marsade said with a thread of coldness to his voice.

"Marsade! You can't rule a kingdom and travel the world at the same time! How do you expect to go where you are needed when you restrict yourself to one kingdom?"

Marsade broke off, and Danyal looked at the five Shaman. Yessen hadn't raised his voice, or displated any anger, but his displeasure was apparent on the ground she stood, where it was fractured and cracked. Gusts blew around Halien, and he could see Margane's breath form clouds when she spoke, the temperature plunging around them, her breath evaporating with her patience.

"I can't believe I am hearing this! Shein is _evil, _Yessen!" Marsade said.

"Yes! I know that! He'll burn in the fires of the Dark One's pits with all the tyrants for his crimes. The Devourer will feed on his soul for the rest of time. But our focus must be to the world, not to one Pride. If we interfere here then we destabilise the entire circle. We could do more harm than good."

"I am getting tired of you and your constant fear! You didn't used to be so easily scared, Rafiki! You weren't always so frightened of power! When you were mortal, you would have stood up for what was right and hang the consequences! How can we protect the world, when the people on it are suffering? We were given our powers for a reason, Yessen! How do we know that reason isn't to help people? Who is to say this wasn't why we received them? To topple tyrants and murderers like Shan-Al-Kir?"

"_Enough."_

Margane said, and there was a rush of air. Her patience was worn out, and the ground around her flashed and froze into a biting frost. She took a step forwards and it crunched beneath her feet.

"Look around us." She commanded, her voice like the cracking of glaciers, and the Shaman did.

The ground around Marsade was burned, singed, still glowing hot in another. Blown apart around Halien, fractured and broken around Yessen. Five identical circles of scarred land from their power bursting from them.  
Danyal remembered when Sundar's own powers had leapt from her unbidden in her anger against her father and new that their argument was stirring powerful feeling in the shaman of the world.

Yessen blinked when he looked upon it.

"Umm… My Lords and Lady-Shaman?" A small voice came. All five turned in surprise, and Danyal, entranced at the etheric displays of power, during in surprise having not been paying attention to any of the surroundings while this battle of wills was occurring. It was a young lion cub, and Marsade recognised him immediately.

"Kono…" He said. Jino's son nodded, looking around uncertainly.

"Um… Kwanza… that's to say, um, the High King, um, he wants you – I mean, he wanted to ask if you were able to come with him and the other lions to speak with… with _Shein_." Kono said, looking agitated. With the sights he could see, Danyal didn't blame him. Margane seethed, her eyes cold. She nodded to the young cub, and turned to the others.

"There is your answer. We can observe this meeting. We can continue this… discussion… later. If Kwanza is able to negotiate a peace with Shien, then this will all be for naught anyway." She said. Marsade brooded, his eyes giving a clear indication of what _he _thought of any peace with Emperor Shan-Al-Kir. They were angry and bitter. Slowly, he let out a breath.

"Very well." He said. "Then let us go with the Lion Kings. Let us bear witness to their negotiations."

* * *

A few moments Danyal watched the shaman re-join the lions who had gathered at Crown Rock. Although aware of their disagreements, no lion made any comment or passed any judgement upon witnessing such a clash. Danyal was disquieted. He had never seen Rafiki act this way in the presence. Still further, he wondered what Marsade had intended in showing him this. To show him that Marsade had once been a compassionate and kind hearted shaman? To show that we was once friends with other lions? If Kono and Jino were alive today, he could easily imagine Marsade being willing to slaughter them, along with the any of the allies who opposed the modern Shai'tan Imperium. Shan-Al-Kir's ancient Empire was just as clear a threat.

So the lions left the sanctuary of Crown Rock.

Not all of them – for it would have been foolish to leave their home unattended. The citadel of the lion kings remained guarded by several lionesses, who remained to guard their home, their cubs and the youngest and the oldest of the group. They remained at Crown Rock.

However, Jino, Kwanza, and several of the other rulers went with the Shaman to the place where Ba'alin went. The Tiger Lord seemed troubled, and he was eyed suspiciously by several of the Lion Kings. In a different time, Danyal might have thought such prejudice cruel and unkind, but he knew he himself would be unlikely to trust anyone who shared a gene with the likes of Shien or Ben-Kai-Ra, much less a ruling member of their species.

* * *

They travelled for several hours in stoic silence, some distance from Crown Rock, passing over a River at one point (mercifully free of a resident River Lord – such an encounter would have been catastrophic at this point) and heading north, into a land not unfamiliar to where Danyal had first seen Jino and his family.

They passed into a heavily wooded area when Ba'alin cleared his throat.

"This was the he said to meet." He said by way of explanation. Which made sense. Why would Shein come out into the open? So they continued. After several more moments, Kwanza's nose twitched and he halted again. Danyal could smell nothing, but that was of little notice, for no scents or smells seemed to have any bearing here.

"He's here…" He said slowly. And the dozen lions looked around.

They moved a little further, and there, there was a flash of orange.  
Shein stood there, little way ahead of them. Completely exposed. His posture was relaxed, his attitude calm. He radiated a sense of anger though. It made Danyal's blood boil to look at him. Such a manifestation of a cruelty and lust and anger. A creature of such hellish madness that it made his stomach twist just to see him. When the Ancient Emperor's eyes looked upon the ghosts of the Great Kings, there was nothing there. No life. No fear. Just raw emptiness.

"**_Ah…" _**Said Shien. **_"You have come. I wondered. I am pleased…" _**He looked at the other Lion Kings. **_"King Jino! What a pleasant surprise… How's that eye of yours?" _**He asked calmly. Jino looked back through his single eye, and there was a cold hatred there, but Jino said nothing. He wouldn't rise to such obvious bait. He only looked to Kwanza. The Great King looked at Shein, his gaze unreadable. There was anger there, certainly, but a whole host of other things. Disgust and horror, and perhaps even a swell of pity for the mad creature he saw. Why would he feel that?

Danyal looked at the King in confusion.

"Shan-Al-Kir." He said. "You've entered my lands, and the lands of my brother kings. You've brought blood and destruction with you. You've brought malice and cruelty. You brought fear and death."

"**_I did. Are you here to pass judgement upon me, your majesty?" _**Shein asked, tauntingly.

"No. I am here to speak with you. To… broker peace. What do you _want_ Shein? Why do all this? For what point and purpose? What is it that was worth what you unleashed?" He asked him. Shien was calm.

"**_Who said I wanted _****anything****_? Death. Destruction. Chaos. Maybe that _****is****_ what_****_I want?"_**

"No. You're too cunning a creature for that… You revel in the pain you sow, I'll grant you, but it is a pleasure, a pastime. Not a goal in and of itself."

"**_Can you be certain of that?"_**

"**_I want power. I want to be respected – and feared. I want pleasure and passion. I want lands, and titles. I want people to fall at my feet, to kneel at my command. I wants crowns and dominions and thrones. I want mates and lovers. I want meat and water and a den. I want power and I want submission." _**

"Then, let us talk…" Kwanza said. "And we shall come to some sort of deal."

"**_Deal with you"_** He gave a smile.**_ "Why Bargain for what I want when if I am strong enough, I can simply take it?" _**The fallen Tiger Lord asked.

"You think you can take whatever you want? Does that include the respect of your species and the love of mates? Your crowns and thrones? Those are things to be earned, Shein."

"**_I _****have ****_earned them. Just look! Look upon my new _****Imperium****_, King Kwanza." _**He said. And with a motion of his paw, others emerged. Although he himself had stood openly and ready, others moved between the trees, naturally camouflaged and stealthed, emerging now they had been called upon. Tiger Lords and Ladies, mighty warriors, cunning schemers. Youths full of smite and a desire to prove themselves, their heads filled with talk of glory and spoils to be won in battle, and others older tigers, bitter and hate filled, worn of life and the chances luck had dealt them, eager to lash out a despised world that despised them in turn. Criminals and exiled killers, but also those whom Ba'alin knew and recognised. Former Tiger Lords, their loyalty to the king supplanted with loyalty to a new a powerful emperor. Growls filled the air, and Danyal was immediately put on edge. They couldn't harm him, but he tensed nevertheless.

"**_Behold. You have your kingdoms, Kwanza. And I have mine. It wasn't hard. You see, the laws you uphold, they are all reliant on a simple fact – fear. You rule through fear. Fear of consequences. Fear of retribution. Fear of reprisals. But take that from them, and _****anyone ****_can make themselves greater than the mightiest king. You say that I bring fear, Kwanza. I don't. I _****end ****_fear. It just so happens, that that is what you fear most of all. An end to your own power." _**The Emperor said.

"Shein! You're not showing courage with your willingness to slaughter at will! It isn't brave to murder and steal whatever you want because no one can stop you!" Ba'alin said, the Tiger Lord looking frightened now, at the appearance of other fighters, far more than he had expected. More than he knew had joined the Emperor. Shien laughed.  
**_"Are you one to talk of bravery, Ba'alin? You, who go running and weeping to the King, rather than fighting yourself? If you believe my actions to be wrong, then come. Stand here. In front of everyone. Stand by your words and your beliefs. Strike me down, and prove that your ideals are greater than mine." _**Shein said, growling dangerously. Ba'alin looked at the great tiger lord and tried not to flinch away from his gaze, but it was clear to all who saw who the greater fighter was.

"I didn't come here to fight with you. I came here so that we could end this war, before it's begun." Ba'alin said honestly, the other tiger lord looking uncertain, but bold. The Emperor only gave him a look of distain. Then he tensed slightly. And suddenly, he was standing next to Ba'alin, having closed the distance with the speed of a cheetah. In mere moments, his claws were unleashed and sliced clean through flesh. Quicker than anybody could react, scarlet blood sprayed and Ba'alin gave a howl of pain. Yessen yelled, Marsade shouted out in surprise, the surrounding Shai'tan exalted in a cry of bloodlust and Kwanza roared. Ba'alin coughed, and Shien's teeth snapped around his throat. There was a great _crunch _as He twisted, and slammed his shoulder into Ba'alins side. He strained his back, and Ba'alin was thrown over. He was dead before he hit the ground.

"**_I offered him a chance to stop me." _**He observed. **_"A shame he wasn't brave enough to even try." _**He hissed, and slammed his paw into the body one last time, his claws piercing and drawing further blood. There was no response from his cold dead body. The others stared in horror. It had happened too quickly for anyone to react, and despite knowing it could easily have been _him _who lay dead, Kwanza growled in astonishment.

"_You didn't need to do that!" _He shouted angrily. Shien shrugged.

"**_I wanted too."_** He said brightly.

"Why!" Yessen demanded of him. "Why call us here to discuss peace, if you only intended to kill again? Why show us your numbers and your strength if you intended to do this?" The shaman asked.

"**_I didn't call you anywhere, Shaman."_** He said, bearin his teeth. Then he gave a snort.**_ "I would have thought the fabled shaman would be wiser… I don't want to kill any of _****you****_." _**But his eyes narrowed when he looked upon Kwanza and other Lion Kings. **_"I want to wipe your species from the face of Africa. Why should we listen to you? If you can't _****stop ****_my_****_actions, why should I fear the consequences of them? You can't punish me for them. You can't prevent them. You are powerless to stop me. Like insects. Why should any creature bow to such weakness?"_**

"You would commit genocide in the name of their supposed weakness?" Margane asked, the chimpanzee looking shocked and spoke for the first time.

"**_No. When a lion moves into a new den, Kwanza, he drives out its previous inhabitants. Prey animals, insects and vermin who might have sought shelter in its places are killed and driven out. Nests are cleansed. Dens are wiped of the stain of its previous occupants._**

**_I am not declaring War, Kwanza. I am exterminating vermin." _**He said.

"You are a remarkable and powerful creature, Shein. But I don't think even you are quite capable of genocide. Not matter what your madness." Kwanza said, the great golden maned creature stood resolute.

"**We'll see****_ what I am capable of, your majesty. You were foolish to think that these are _****all ****_of the Tiger Lords who have sided with me. The message is spreading. More and more from all over Africa are hearing my call. They want to be _****free. ****_Free of the shackles that bind them. Free of the reign of other, _****lesser ****_creatures."_**

"Then we will fight them. And they will be defeated."  
"**_It's not the number of fighters, Kwanza. It's what they are capable off. My new empire, is capable of so much more then you could imagine."_**

"And what are they capable of, Shein? A few dozen murders, exiles, rouges and killers? What can you do with the scum of the earth, Emperor Shan-Al-Kir? My Kingdom is full of loyal subjects. It upholds honour and law and is filled with lions who love and trust and respect each other. What does your collective of rouges and brigands have? What _are _they capable of?" Kwanza asked, his voice full of derision.

"**_As I said. They are capable of cleansing the nests." _**Shien said.

The words hit Marsade like ice cold water. But it was Rafiki who cried out in horror.

"Kwanza! He's attacking Crown Rock!" The Emperor grinned.

The Emperor wanted to wipe out Kwanza's kingdom, by ensuring that his line was never continued. That his mate, and cubs never survived to reign in his stead. And with the chaos and madness of the recent months, the offspring and heirs of a dozen Lion Kings were all gathered together at the supposed safety of Crown Rock. The place was a fortress, that was true – but the kings, the princes and warriors were _here, _confronting the supposed threat from Shien. Emperor Shan-Al-Kir wasn't interested in peace! He didn't want to negotiate. He just wanted the rulers and fighters of the Great Kingdoms to leave Crown Rock undefended. He laughed now, his voice ice cold and manic.

"**I warned that you were foolish to think that these were ****_all _****of my followers, Kwanza! Its too late to do anything now!"** He shouted out. Kwanza's eyes widened in fear. _Askari. His unborn cub. _

"NO!" Kwanza shouted. He turned and ran, the other lion Kings looking in astonishment as the truth and horror dawned on them all. Surely he wouldn't do this? Even Shien-Su wouldn't commit such a monstrosity! He had killed rouges, yes, and Kings, and other lions in ambushes and attacks, He had maimed and murdered, and even dismembered the corpses of those he defeated, but even he for all of his cruelty, all of his malice, had never stooped so low as to attack a mere _cub_.

Danyal watched in mute horror as it dawned upon him.

He certainly would.  
And it would be a slaughter. There would be know way out. The den was sparsely defended, with only a few warriors there! Even fewer if the huntresses were out – as seemed likely given the time of day. Jino, the one eyed King almost choked in anguish.

"_Kono." _He said. His Son. Emperor Shan-Al-Kir laughed.

"**_Laws are the refuge of the weak. Compassion the habitat of the powerless. Mercy the shelter of the unworthy! Only the strong can rule. And how strong is a king who can't protect the things he loves? How strong are you really, Kwanza? Strong enough to save your bloodline?"  
_**Kwanza turned. "Quickly!" He called, and ran full pelt back the way they had come, but he hadn't made it far before his way was blocked by a few tiger. They weren't outnumbered, but they didn't have the time for this. Kwanza's claws were free and tearing through fur and flesh in moments, Jino too gave a war cry and struck out at another.

A lioness nearby gave a shout as she was overwhelmed, but the other lions, hysterical and manic, left her where she stood, not even noticing in their overwhelming desire to return to protect their loved ones. Marsade turned back to Shein, only in time, to see the last flash of orange as his tail disappeared into the trees

"NO!" He shouted out, flames bursting into existence around his hands in his fury, his eyes peering, trying to find a clean shot after him, but there was no trace. Instead, he turned around and let loose a wide cone of fire at a pair of tigers coming up upon Shaana and one of the other Kings. The tigers shied away from the heat, giving off loud growls, and Yessen's staff appeared in his hand, the baboon giving a shout.

"_Go! Go! Go!"_ He shouted, slamming his rod into the ground. And the earth shifted. The ground fractured around them, opening a short but deep chasm between the oncoming tigers and the fleeing lions. Halien span her own rod, sending scythes of cutting wind through the trees before them, severing away the branches and leaving them to be trampled underfoot and clearing a path ahead of them. Marsade's attention was broken with a loud roar, and he was knocked to the ground by a tiger's paw swipe. He groaned as he rolled along the ground, blood spilling from puncture wounds. The tiger ran over to him as he tried to pull himself to his feet, and bit a hold of Marsade's outstretch hand at the arm. With a roar, he pulled it aside, and Marsade gave a scream as the bone snapped, his eyes shut in pain.

"Marsade!" Rafiki cried, looking back and seeing Marsade injured and in pain. Yessen turned at the sound and took one step towards him, but Rafiki didn't need any of their help. Even with his staff some feet away where he had dropped it as he'd been attacked, his power was great.

"_Get off me, filth." _He hissed, and his eyes opened. They gleamed with a scarlet light that now emanated from his form as Danyal had so often seen Sundar do so.

The Tiger was thrown backwards, and Marsade's other hand reached out closed into a fist. The Tiger hung in the air, suspended by Marsade's magic. Them he pulled his fist tighter, and the tiger gave a soundless scream as his body was bent backwards. The unfortunate creature's spin snapped in two, almost bent in half by Marsade's will. Then, giving a snarl, flames ignited in its fur. Black smoke billowed around him as the meat sizzled and Marsade flared the flames with his own will. Then with a contemptuous flick of his unbroken wrist, the now shapeless mess of blood and flesh and fire, was sent spiralling away from them, over the chasm, colliding into a second Shai'tan where the flames lashed out and spilled around them. Clutching his broken arm, Marsade turned around, and Rafiki was there.

"Come on…" He said, and dragged his friend after. They had to run to keep up with the sprinting lions. But they were no long chased, because with that display of power, the rest of the Shai'tan retreated after their master. Suddenly, the reason for their choice of a dense woodland became apparent. If Marsade unleashed his fury upon them here, the flames would spread and kill all within its borders – including themselves, and the Lion Kings. Although Disgruntled, Marsade continued to run, running for what felt like an age, occasionally letting off a burst of shamanic power, wiping away fatigue and aches, and pains, forcing themselves to make it back to crown rock.

They made it back to crown rock.

But not in time.

Although Danyal could not smell it, he knew as soon as the stench of blood hit them, their noses twitching, eyes widening. Slicks of blood littered the ground around the base of Crown Rock. Kwanza paused as he saw a first body – a Tiger Lord, covered in wounds, his own paws dripping in blood.

"Askari!" He shouted, in pain. Jino looked around in panic.

"Kono!" He cried out. Rafiki looked around, his eyes wide with pain. Yessen looked appalled, and Margane eyes were wide and red, and looked as though she were trying not to weep. More and more bodies could be seen here and there, as they made their way further into the den, lionesses and warriors now, and here and there more Shai'tan. Anxiety gripping them, the party moved further through.

"No!" Margane, called, as she caught sight of a younger, smaller body. The lifeless body of a young cub, its face turned away. And there were more. Scattered between the bodies of the fighters, more of the fragile broken bodies of mere children could be spotted. The massacre continued for some time, and Danyal could feel bile rise in his throat. He could so easily imagine the broken forms of Inti and Sara and Zuri and Calin and Koron and Kiava there as well. How could such a thing happen? The High king's ears twitched.

The sounds of battle could be heard, further into the den. Snarling and fighting.

It wasn't over yet.

"ASKARI!" He called, and ran ahead, the others following. There were still those in Crown Rock who could draw breath.

There, ahead of them, a small party of lionesses could be seen, pushed to the far end of the den. Barley half a dozen still breathing, and behind them, the huddled forms of a few surviving cubs, terrified, their eyes widened, some covered in blood, and displaying minor injuries. The lionesses were all worse for wear, each of them sporting some injury of some kind.

And between them and the returning warriors, where a full dozen Shai'tan. It was clear who was about to win this fight.

Kwanza roared, and the Shai'tan turned and saw the vengeful Lion Kings, rage and fury coming after them from behind. The maddening grief of lions – kings, princes and warriors who had lost loved ones manifested and incarnate charging towards him.

And Marsade let himself join the charge. Flanked, and surrounded, one Shai'tan went down quickly. Another clawed at Jino.

"DAD!" Kono shouted from behind the paws of a huntress. And Jino's single eye fell upon a Tiger whose snarl of anger turned to a yelp of pain and fear as his claws found their mark.

Marsade swung his staff like a polearm, and its thornwood end struck a Shai'tan in the head. It reared back in pain, and Marsade pirouetted, and drove his staff like a spear into the Shai'tan's chest. Then the Shai'tan exploded into flame. Another fell to a pair of lionesses, and a fourth fell to Kwanza, the high king's fury unsated by the blood he spilled.

Massacre and slaughter, the attempted genocide of his race. These were not crimes that could go unpunished, and punish them he would. The golden maned High King struck out with a righteous fury that instilled terror in those who remained.

The surviving Shai'tan, tried to force their way out of den, trying to find some escape, some way out. One clawed at Jino, but Marsade was there, and his flames danced again, searing into another.  
Halien and Margane didn't unleash their sorcery upon the fleeing Shai'tan, but the female Shaman did duck under blows aimed for them, and slammed their staffs into the side of a Shai'tan as one, propelling the creature some height into the air.

Yessen cursed, and raised his staff, and with it a shard of rock was ripped clean from the ground. With a groan, he hurled it at the descending Shai'tan, and the boulder struck him as he fell sending him to the wall with a sickening crack. Then, gripping a fist, the boulder shattered into three dozen razor sharp shards of granite. The speartips of stone flew through the air, and enveloped the cubs in a phalanx of spears, defending them from any of the remaining Shai'tan. But it seemed unnecessary, given that the Shai'tan were now in full flight. Kwanza grunted as a pair of Shai'tan clawed at him, the High king stumbling.

"NO!" Rafiki cried out. His staff struck the ground, and the Shai'tan were flung from his friend. The shockwave hit the other fleeing Shai'tan, and sent them falling to the ground. The power than emanated from

The mandrill seemed to twist light around him, distorting the air. His eyes flickered a brilliant gold for a moment. Margane and Yessen, the Shaman closest to him let out cries of pain at the power surged around him. Rafiki's fist struck the air in front of him and another shock wave rippled out, stronger than the first, and this one propelled them into the air. Inhaling, the mandrill closed his eyes, calming himself, cold fury simmering within him, contained and directed. He breathed slowly, brought his hands together in an arcing movement. The falling Shai'tan slowed, and hung there in the air. He exhaled, and opened his eyes. The irises were a solid gold, polished like copper. He remained still, and the Shai'tan hung there, suspended with the sheer force of his will. One growled in rage.

"_RELEASE ME, I –"_

"_BE SILENT!" _Rafiki commanded. His eyes flickered, flashing with starlight. The creature was still, though it still thrashed.

There was silence.

The fighting was over.

They stood there, in the blood and the carnage. Between the blood and the bodies of the Pride's children, and the warriors and huntress' who had given their lives to defend them. Now, only a handful remained.

Margane and Halien went to the wounded, trying to bring healing and comfort to those they could. Marsade stood apart, looking at the slaughter with disgust and horror.

"_Kwanza… My love…" _a voicecame. Askari. They had found her. She was still alive. The High Queen was injured, there were deep claw marks all over her. She was pale, and anquished.

"_Askari…" _Kwanza ran to her. "Are you…"

"I live… But… Our baby… Our cub…" She looked down. Some of her injuries marked her belly. If even a single claw had found its mark, if any of trauma she had endured reached that delicate spot… They could already have lost their child. Kwanza pressed a paw to her stomach.

"It's okay… It's okay…" He told her. Rafiki's heart twisted at hearing his voice… For although he knew he intended to bring comfort, he could hear the despair in his voice, even as he heard the cries of relief from the lioness's who found their cubs alive… and the cries of despair… from those who did not. The same despair leaked into Kwanza's own voice. Rafiki's face contorted into a hateful snarl.

"_No."_

His hand jerked around. And the four Shai'tan twisted. Four identical *snaps* rung out, and the Pride froze. The Shai'tan hung in the air were stilled.

Then, Rafiki let them drop, and they fell to the ground with four *thud*s. Their heads hanging limp, their necks twisted and broken. Rafiki turned around without another look and moved to Kwanza, and Askari. The Great Lion looked up atRafiki, the old Shaman's hands moving down.

"_You will not lose your child. And you will not lose your mate." _He looked around. "_Come on."_ He said. _"You are Shaman. Is this not why we exist? We are healers." _And with no further encouragement, Marsade and Margane, Yessen and Halien, moved among the injured, the dead, working their shamanism, weaving their magic, tending those that were still within their power to help.

* * *

They buried the dead at the base of Crown Rock. Marsade and Yessen made their way back to the bloodied woodland, where they retrieved the bodies of Ba'alin and the fallen lionesses. The lionesses were buried with their kin. The Voice of the Tiger Lords was left to his followers, who took their Lord to bury their own way.

Then with the Pride still mourning, the Five Shaman convened at the base of Crown Rock. After a moment, it was Rafiki who spoke.

"Kwanza and his mate will live. And so will their child. No one else had died of their injuries. No one else will suffer today because of what Emperor Shan-Al-Kir did." Rafiki said firmly. He looked at the others.

"So we are faced with the same old choice… Do we leave them to their fate? Do we allow them to continue alone?" He looked around. Marsade ground his teeth.

"We cannot do that. Shien is a monster. Look at what he has done. He will only do worse from this point onwards. He must have known the Shai'tan he sent would be destroyed on our return." He looked at Rafiki. "Which means he had more. More who would die for him. The Lion Kings don't stand a chance alone. They'll be killed."

"No. Kwanza is mighty and powerful. He will rally his subjects. It will be a hard struggle. But we have done all we can here. The Balance must be manatined. The forces of nature must be kept in check. We cannot afford to involve ourselves here any further than we already have." Margane said firmly. "In truth, I do not know if I can force my self to watch such slaughter anymore.

Halien nodded.

"Agreed. This war will have ripples. Knock on affects. Others will be caught in the fighting. There will be famine – and with famine comes disease. I shall go south. And do what I can for the poor creatures who will be swept up in this fighting." She said. Marsade nodded, his jaw set.

"And You Yessen? You know what I will do now. You will do what I did to the Shaman who did this to me:" He said, and held up his arm. The bone was already healed, and the scars would remain for a few days. Its wasn't the injury though, that Marsade wanted revenge for. The blood stains of Crown Rock would remain in people's minds for years after rain would wash away the visible stains. Marsade wanted to watch Shai'tan _burn. _Yessen sighed.

"I will not be party to such a thing. I have said before. It is foolishness to do such a thing. You are letting your emotions cloud your judgement, your anger and your fury, and your love of justice are blinding you to the fact that it is not _for us _to interfere with this worlds affairs.

"WHY!?" Marsade asked. Yessen let out a sigh of exasperation.

"WHY! Because you have the power over the flames of nature, Marsade! The wildfire and the inferno are your domain. Volcanoes and blazes and eruptions! You'd devastate the land with your anger not_ save_ it. There will be consequences to abusing that much power!"

"Abusing it? I watched Kucha die. Kwanza or Jino could be next! They needn't face this danger! Help me! Let me end this war before it's even begun. I can find Shan-Al-Kir. I can destroy him, and his followers. I will end them so utterly that they can never again threaten our friends!" He stormed. Margane had a half frowned, and Danyal could see that it pained her to hear these things from her friend. She _wanted _to help him, he could see it in her eyes, but the potential consequences of it, and the knowledge that it would be a misuse of her powers prevented her.

"If you use the Gift of the Shaman in this war, then you'll instil a fear of the Shaman and their power in the minds of all who come after."

"You used it!" Marsade accused.

"I used it to help them escape. To protect and defend. _You _used it to fight. You should not have done that. The people of this land will come to fear the power we use. See it as a weapon, instead of gift."

"Well, maybe they ought to be frightened. Maybe they should fear what happens when murder the people I love? You're frightened by your own power! If I were strong, I would use my strength to protect the ones I loved. If I were smart, I would use my mind. If I could weave words and create bonds between friends, I would use my tongue. I would use whatever skills or talents I had to bring about peace! To help others! To do what is _right. _Why is this any different? My gifts can be used to help others! They can be used to help the Lion Kings! Why shouldn't I use them?" He said in anger. This was the familiar Marsade now. The one who was angry and bitter, though the malevolence and malice was not present. He seemed full of frustration and anger, impatience and determination were no crime. Even though his eyes seemed to blaze. Yessen looked on his brother. He reached out a hand but Marsade shrugged away.

"You shouldn't place that responsibility upon yourself. You are not a **_king_**. You are a guardian of this world, not its ruler. It would be a heresy, a perversion of our gifts to use them to reign – even as a benevolent god. These powers, these gifts, they are powerful. They are frightening. And they work beyond the circle of life."

"Why shouldn't I use them how I wish? I control them, they don't control me!" Marsade said.

"Our gifts, the Rods of Shaman are shards of the very power used to create this world! Fragments of the Divine! The power of _creation_ itself! They are a check. A balance. A tool to be used to rebalance the circle of the life when it is disturbed. They are to be used to _heal _the world, not reshape it – even if we think we are reshaping it for the better."

"Shein is evil." Marsade said helplessly.

"Shien is a _mortal_! He is cruel yes, but he is _of this world_! I've already told you. He is an earthly sickness. His reign must have an earthly remedy."

"And what if it's not enough?!"

"That isn't what we are meant for!"

"Who says?" Marsade shouted. And flame burst into existence around him. "Who says?! You?! You are not my master! You have no authority to control me!"

"Marsade, don't be a fool." Halien said.

"Do you _know _what will happen if me interfere? If we dare meddle for the good of others?" Margane asked.

"Do _you_?" Marsade retorted.

"More people will die. Like the children who were slaughtered today."

"Nothing could have been done. We were too slow to save them all, and nothing we could have done would have changed that." Marsade looked upon Rafiki.

"And you, old friend? You used your powers today. To help others. For good. You killed the Shai'tan who tried to murder the child of your friend. What if I had been one of those who lay bloodied and cold beneath the ground today? Would you be persuaded then? You've already killed four Shai'tan. Do you regret that?" Marsade asked him. Rafiki looked at Marsade.

"No." He said. "I don't. They deserved to die for what they did. I don't regret it." Rafiki said.

Danyal stared. He had never seen Rafiki look like this.

"I'll admit, I was hesitant, Yessen. I understand your arguments, and your logic. But when we start to listen only to our heads and not to our hearts as well, is a day I fear. My mind tells me that I ought to walk away. To go back to my work, protecting this earth, keeping the circle of life in balance. But my heart, tells me that these people need our help."

"Kwanza is my friend. So is Askari. What Emperor Shan-Al-Kir tried to do today is contrary to everything we stand for. I for one will remain here, and do what I can for them. I will shall heal their wounded, tend to their dead, and use whatever means necessary to protect them from this monster. Just as I would for any of you."

"Rafiki-"

"Yessen. Please. Just go. If you feel you can't remain here, then just go." Rafiki said. Marsade couldn't help but smile, even as he felt a chasm open between the two of them, and his fellow Shaman. Yessen looked at them both.

"You are making a huge mistake." He told them. Rafiki shook his head.

"No. My mind is made up. I shall do what feels right." Margane and Halien looked at one another.

The gibbon reached out and took Marsade's hand.

"If you are going to fight here… Then be careful. And when it's over, come back to us." Halien embraced Rafiki.

"Good luck. And Goodbye." She said, and when farewells were exchanged, Yessen looked at the two of them sadly.

"If your minds are made up and their truly nothing I can say…"

"There isn't." Marsade said, more harshly then he intended. Yessen sighed.

"Then, goodbye, my friends." And with that, the Shaman separated. Margane and Halien went East, to the edges of the Great Kingdom, where soon enough the herds, and other inhabitants who wanted nothing to do with the fighting would flee. Yessen went South, relying on his solitude and his own counsel. And it was as simple as that. The gathering of the greatest powers the world knew was over. When they were gone, nothing was said.

Then, Rafiki turned to Marsade, he held out a hand. The Fire Priest took his outstretched arm and grasped it gratefully, turning to face the lion Kings as they mourned their dead.

"Thank you, old friend. For standing with me." Marsade said. Rafiki nodded.

"I do not forsake my friends." Rafiki told him. "Shein-Su, or Shan-Al-Kir, or whatever he calls himself now, cannot, must not, be allowed to continue this madness."

"So." Marsade said softly. "Lets us inform Kwanza of our decision. We will fight with them. Help them end this." Rafiki nodded, though he was clearly troubled.

"End this? My dear Marsade… I fear this is only just beginning…"

And the pair of them headed back to crown rock.

* * *

Danyal stared after them, his mind reeling.

"_Still think we are so different?" _A voice came to him. Danyal turned, and stumbled back in horror, as he saw Marsade staring at him. His fur was greyed and blacked in places, and his skin pale. He was missing his arm, and his teeth were exposed and yellowing. This was no echo, no shade of the past. This was the real, living Marsade – or a manifestation of him at any rate. He was staring at Danyal intently. He cackled.

"We fought. We fought and danced in fire and blood. We turned the power of the heavens against mere mortals. To hell with Yessen and his balance. To the void with his caution and his patience. We wanted _blood. _Perhaps a hunter such as yourself would sympathise more than my fellow apes."

"The only people I know who'd sympathise with you are the Shai'tan you butchered."

"Butchered did? Same as Rafiki then… There is not a thing I've done that Rafiki hasn't. Not a drop of blood on my hands that Rafiki doesn't also bear. Did you think that your precious healer was any different? He wanted revenge. He wanted to _hurt _people who hurt him… And he had the will to _do _it. I'd like to say _we're only mortal… _but that doesn't quite ring true, does it."

"You fought the old Shai'tan. The Old Imperium… The old Emperor."  
"I did… I guess I felt it was important at the time… Too bad Rafiki lost sight of that."

"Are you trying to tell me that Rafiki was as big of a monster as you?"

"I am _showing _you that, Danyal. Everything the land saw, you now see. I am still amazed that you haven't worked it out…"

"Worked what out?"

"The visions you see are only what the land has witnessed… Sure, what you see on Crown Rock, is little different… but what you saw in Jino's Kingdom? In Nevrue's and Nyah's? The Edgelands, and the Farlands, where you watched Tiger Lord Traitors, attack and slaughter just _to get Kwanza's attention? _To get him _desperate enough _that he'd risk leaving Crown Rock undefended? Where do you suppose those events took place?"

"I don't know… I've never seen those lands before." Danyal said, his eyes narrowing. Marsade laughed.

"Oh yes you have! Ah, you probably can't tell these days… would it help if I scattered some termite mounds here and there? A spot of wasteland?" Marsade laughed. Danyal swallowed.

"Are you telling me…" He said slowly… "That those lands… that Jino's Kingdom… those are the _outlands?" _He gasped in shock. Marsade looked at him.

"The War changed the landscape of the entirety of the Great Kingdoms… The Outlands was one of Rafiki's worst crimes."

"_Rafiki did that?!" _Danyal gasped.

What power… what _force _could blast a land dry? Suck it of all water, devour all life? Nothing mortal, that was for sure. Danyal took a step back, an uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach. Marsade laughed.

"Now, you see… Now you understand. You could only _dream _of what Rafiki was capable of in those final days of the war. The fires of the Old Imperium tempered me into hardened steel… but they broke Rafiki apart." Marsade said. The world began to melt away, the visions fading. There was nothing. Just an empty void of blackness. A nothingness, with just Danyal and Marsade there.

"Now. I am sure you have a lot to think about. Unfortunately, there isn't much time for that." Said Marsade. "Shall we begin?" Danyal's eyes only had time to widen before a spike of pain hit him. He yelled in pain. Marsade was staring at him intently still, his focus fixed upon him.

And then the pain hit Danyal again. The image of Marsade within his mind vanished with a crazed laughed, but the pain continued, building, pulsing, throbbing, bursting within him. Every wound Danyal had exploded into anguish. He felt as if he were on fire. Even unconsciousness was no sanctuary.

His mind screamed.

* * *

**AN:**

**There is of course one more Flashback Chapter required to finish the story of Five Shaman. That which tells the end of Imperial Wars in Africa, and the exile to Asiatica. But that is enough for now.**

**It's something, isn't it, to see Marsade and Rafiki working together? It's also something to see Shien-Su.**

**The Emperor who would become Shan-Al-Kir, is terrifying here, and we get a good long look at his back story.**

**It might be hard to understand Yessen's reasoning – but he recognises that the Shaman's power comes from a source that is otherworldly. He knows the ****_reason _****for the power, and he is hesitant to use it for any other reason.  
They are not meant to rule with their power – and that is what Marsade wants to do, even if it's for good reasons.**

**Their power is too dangerous, too absolute to put him in charge of lives. Such a thing is dangerous.**

**Sadly for Danyal all of this is just a brief distraction for him. Marsade will continue his torture, both physically and mentally. Sleep, and unconsciousness is no defence from a Shaman. Marsade will continue the torture however he wishes.**

**Note that he's abandoned all pretence of questioning or interrogation here. In Danyal's mind, the only thing he wants is to hurt Rafiki's friends – while also experimenting on Sundar's healing capabilities.**

**We've also hit 20 chapters. Not to worry. This story will be continuing until ****_30\. _**

**There is plenty to come. Enjoy everyone! And remember, please leave a review.  
**


	22. Chapter 21 - Pack Poltics

"**Hello all! I am back again, and this time with another longer chapter. This one just sort of spiralled when two characters met, because I knew I couldn't show it without this confrontation, but I didn't plot it, so the chapter is enlarged as a result. It's worth it though. Very proud of this chapter. We'll start by forging ahead with the Kiava Plot, with some new characters (Keeping up? Do I need to create a Glossary?) In any case, I think you'll like this chapter. Enjoy!**

**And in case I don't get an update until then: Merry Christmas! "**

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip:** I find it very interesting that different readers are siding with Marsade or Yessen respectively. They disagree. And neither are wrong – there will be consequences for using their powers in this way. The important thing to remember is that their magic is not their own. It has a source. And when the power isn't used for its intended purpose, bad things will happen. It's been established that breaking the circle of life warps reality, and causes corruption. Given this is something Shein thrives on, we'll see how this happens.

**Shadow: **Glad you liked it! It's terrible that Great Kingdoms are being torn apart and I am glad you thin kits done well! The people _need _to become desperate. Rafiki needs to be desperate. And that desperation is what will shape the past. And the future.

Shein does preach that.

But it raises the question: Why _do _we have morality? Many people will claim some form of religion or spirituality as a basis for this – but with so many conflicting religions in the world (many of which are inconsistent on certain moral issues), how do we define morality? Where do we get the defining morality from?

Shein simply believes it's a myth. And, it being a myth, can be ignored as false.

It is indeed interesting that Marsade is working with the descendants of the creatures he hates.  
Glad you noticed that…

There is a chapter in the final book titled: A Tale of Five Shaman III, which will reveal what he did. It is possible however, to extrapolate from the hole it's left based on all the other evidence though.

**Author: **There is more to Rafiki then meets the eye. Marsade does imply that this is a new development, and that he wasn't always so inherently _good. _Although, Marsade is insane.

Marsade's Fall is like many of the Tragic Hero archetypes.

As for the Pridelands? They would take about three days to cross at their widest point. There is a Map of course, but I can't display it on my profile. If you go to Deviant Art, and search for my name, you might come across it. Or, you can google "Deviant Art Haradion Map of the Pridelands" and go to the first option. There is also a sneak Preview of the Final Book's Cover. Enjoy.

**SandyDragon:** Glad you liked it! I think my pacing has improved dramatically since Judgement and Flood. Moral ambiguity is a theme in this series I found – with a few exceptions – especially with Vitani and the Rebels. It would be boring to make _everything _black and white.

I think the boost in errors was more down to the unusual size of the Chapter. Proofreading becomes very tricky at that point, but I shall do my best to correct this for the following chapter.

Enjoy!

**Ultimateblack: **Glad you had the patience for such a long chapter (and so long in the coming).

Visha wasn't _brainwashed _as such. He could have remembered who he was fighting. It was just a sign of how much he's embraced Shien's teachings, that he doesn't care enough make the distinction.

Marsade is a nutcase that is for sure. But like all villains he wasn't _born _evil. He is what events shaped him into. That is unfortunately, what he wished to become.

Why indeed would Rafiki do such a thing? You'll just have to wait and see?

As for the Lion Guard… I've seen bits of it.

As far as I am concerned, it's a neat little thing for young kids to enjoy.  
Sadly, I think it's got Jar-Jar syndrome, in that it's intended for a much younger audience than the original fans who are now grown up.

It's a little disappointing in that regard, and I think Disney screwed up. If they wanted a darker concept, they could have done the same story, but have Zira as the villain – possibly manipulating the hyenas into attacking the Pridelands, seeing the formation of the Lion Guard as an escalation of hostilities with Simba. I think it would be interesting to have Zira's rebellion be something of a Cold War.

Who knows though? Apparently it's leading into a TV Series – so maybe they'll amaze us and pull something out their arses and do exactly that? A Twist-Reveal at the end, revealing that the hyenas were working for Zira all along, setting her up as the Arch-Villain for Season 2? I like those sorts of Stinger Endings. I guess you can tell, since all the epilogues so far have had that. And yes, before you ask, there is one planned for this book too. Several actually.

**Almondbutter: **It's good to be back!You can see the starting of the process here. There was of course a straw that broke the camel's back so to speak. I hope it lives up to people's expectations…

* * *

**Chapter 21: Pack Politics**

* * *

Shenzi and Kiava made their way through the ashen plains of the Shadowlands. They were not alone of course. Although many remained in Skeleton canon, a good dozen marched with Kiava through the valleys and wastelands of the Pridelands' northern neighbour. Among their number, was Asante and her parents, as well as Sarafina and Bruce. The two larger animals made an imposing sight and they remained with the King at all times, along with Zuri, who was beside him at all times, still concerned for him. Ed, Timon and Ookai had remained with the bulk of their forces where they had defeated Abyss and his minions. Bhagari had insisted on coming with them, despite his injuries, which were no closer than Kiava's to being fully healed.

The journey was long and arduous. Kiava was so recently healed from the poison, and his body still healing, that they had to make frequent stops to rest and hunt. Asante had done her best, but she herself was fatigued from the experience. In truth she was exhausted by the whole affair. She could feel herself brimming with power now that her shamanism was fully manifesting and that prospect daunted her. But she trusted in herself, as the mysterious voice had commanded her to do. She certainly wasn't afraid. Merely overwhelmed with enormity of the task she was left with – learning to use and control her powers.

Kiava, for his part, walked in silence, occasionally stopping to rest. Eventually he spoke.

"So, what is Matriarch Haana like?" Kiava asked carefully. Shenzi grunted.

"I've never met her." She said. Kiava looked to Banzai who shrugged.

"I aint' neither." He said.

"Wonderful." He said dryly. "I love surprises."

"Do you think we –"

They were cut of as they rounded a bend in the valley.

High above their heads, towering into the sky, the unmistakable form of Carrocscir gleamed. Ivory and bone, spearing into the sky. The Bone Palace of the Elephant graveyard. Kiava never thought he'd be pleased to see it.

"Welcome home…" He commented to the Hyenas. Asante shifted.

"It doesn't feel like home any more…" She said. And even as she spoke, several bones tumbled to the ground as a small group of hyenas emerged from crevices and crags. They were surrounded by striped hyenas.

"Stand down!" One of the called out, and Kiava looked around and saw several of the hyenas had instinctively dropped to defensive positions at the mere sight of the other hyenas. Their hostility was palpable.

"Do as they say…" Zuri said irritably. "We don't need a fight here…" and Kiava agreed. After a moment, one of the hyenas moved towards her, and Banzai growled as he recognised her from the party that had ambushed Ookai and himself in the shadowlands. It was the same Striped Hyena who had goaded him and whose impertinence had managed to rile _him. _She smirked as she saw them, though her expression froze when she saw Kiava. For a moment she said nothing. Then she moved closer and Kiava heard as Sarafina began to growl. The hyena turned suddenly at the noise, looking alarmed at the threat. She might be an impertinent hyena, but she was not a stupid one. The mere presence of a fully grown lioness in their midst was a worry. Seeing her walk with the Hyenas was outright alarming.

"Do I address Prince Kiava?" She asked. Kiava though still looking pale, stepped forwards.

"You do. I am Kiava, Son of King Kovu of the Pridelands." He said. The hyena gave an odd expression. She looked between Kiava and Shenzi. Then gave a laugh.

"Fate does love its ironies… Ya two must be _really _desperate to work together… How much do the Shai'tan frighten ya that ya would work with a murderess such as _her? _Even for a hyena she's got some blood on her paws…" She said, looking at Shenzi again. Banzai began to growl, but Kiava cleared his throat.

"The past is the past, hyena. I have told you my name. May I know yours?" He asked. The hyena looked taken aback.

"Kamili. The name is Kamili." She said. She looked him up and down, pausing, and Kiava began to feel slightly uncomfortable, as if he was being analysed. He coughed again.

"I am here to see Matriarch _Haana_." He said. The hyena nodded.

"Step this way, if ya please." She said.

And the whole party began to move into the tower. Shenzi looked around comfortably. She didn't like being lead into her own home. Asante didn't look happy either. In fact the Shaman looked outright miserable. Inside the tower, the telltale signs of blood still marked where hyenas, wilddogs, jackals and snakes had fallen in Amun's assault on Carrocscir. At least their bodies had been moved, and disposed of somewhere, he hoped, respectfully. The stains hadn't been cleaned away yet though. It was saddening to see the shining ivory walls marked with slicks of red.

They had barely come within a few paces into the tower however, when Kamili turned around and nodded her head. A portion of her own hyenas moved between Kiava and the others, separating them.

"Hey!" Kiava shouted, as some of them began to snarl.

"We ain't letting half an army go before Haana if that's what ya thought would happen. How stupid do you think we are? Your allies will be held securely while ya speak with the matriarch." Kamili said.

"No!" Zuri said in alarm, as a Hyena came between her and Kiava. Kiava was barley healed from the venom, he wouldn't survive ten seconds into a fight at this rate. Anything could happen.

"No. That wasn't part of any deal." Kiava said firmly. Sarafina let lose a roar and the striped hyenas scrambled back. Taking advantage of their terror, a group of spotted hyenas gathered around her and began to snarl aggressively.

"Neither was bringing a lioness and a brute of a gorilla with ya!" Kamili said, looking angered now.

"Stop this!" Kiava said quickly, before violence broke out. He cleared his throat.

"Sarafina and Bruce, will go with you. _Not, _to the lower cells, thank you. They can wait a few paces back, outside the tower if need be. If it _frightens _youI am happy to accurate your requests…" He said, carefully. Sarafina's eyes widened.

"Kiava… Not a good plan…"

"I agree with 'Fina, this is a _bad _idea…" Shenzi said in alarm. Kiava ignored them.

"Shenzi, Banzai, Asante, Bhagari Zuri and other hyenas, they stay with me." Kiava finished. Kamili hesitated. She looked torn.

"Not all of the Hyenas. Two can stay with ya – that's as well as the Matriarch's family. No more than half a dozen hyenas." She said firmly. Kaiva hesitated. Shenzi rolled her eyes.  
"It's probably as high as they can count… Mustn't confuse the poor things…" She said, though her eyes told him she would have preferred to have Sarafina with them. It was the lioness' claws. More slaughter per swing in her eyes.

"Very well." Kiava agreed.

"Be careful." Sarafina warned them, and turned to Bruce. "Let's go big guy. We're going to wait for Kiava outside." Bruce nodded, looking oddly relieved.

"Good… It's dark in here." He commented. And with that, the rest of their party were lead off back the way had come, and Kiava took a breath.

"Satisfied?" Kiava asked Kamili. The striped hyena gave him a withering look, and without a word, turned around and lead the way through the weaving tunnels and passages of Carrocsscir. After a few moments, Kiava looked around and thought he could recognise the place.

"Hang on…" He said slowly… "Isn't this…-" He didn't finish. Instead, Shenzi let out a hiss.

"She _wouldn't." _She looked furious.

Then, they came out of the tunnel, and into the sickly green light of the hyena Throne Room.

There, perched on the top of a pile of skulls, a surprisingly young female sat. She didn't stand as they entered the room, though many of the striped hyenas looked up in alarm. The chattering ceased, and all eyes turned to the rebel party.  
Shenzi was shaking with rage.

How _dare _she! She came into their home, and dared place her stinking arse on _her _throne! The gall of it was _staggering._

"Shenzi…" Banzai warned her quietly. _Please _don't do something stupid. Asante herself looked offended too, and she was grinding her teeth in cold anger.

Kiava continued to approach the throne.

Then, just as the two guards, a pair of brutish looking males, that flanked the foot Haana's – or rather Shenzi's – throne began to stand and growl, stopped.

He looked around.

Half way up the throne, he saw two other unusual looking hyenas. One was thin and lithe, with a rusty brown fur that covered her from head to toe. The hair was very long, but he supposed that would be an advantage in both shielding her body from the force of a bone crushing bite, and in protecting her from the harsh night weather of the shadowlands, or indeed the great desert. A Brown Hyena.

Two her left, sat another bored looking hyena. This was one a male, and his fur was shorter, exposing a dozen scars. They lined and crisscrossed his body all over, including several prominent ones across his face, and a chuck of one of his ears were missing. His claws were permanently exposed and looked to be razor sharp. The only spot of colour on his entirely body, which was covered in pitch black fur, were his two large eyes, the iris of which were a blue so paled they looked almost silver. He seemed to have a termite infestation of some kind going by patches of his fur, though he didn't move at all to ease what must have been an infuriating itch. Perhaps he was used to the discomfort? Or perhaps he didn't care. In either case, the two older hyenas were a stark contrast to the female who sat on the throne.  
She was young. Younger than he'd expected. Older than Asante true, but not by much. Barley an adult by hyena standards. There were no scars or warmarks on her body, in fact or a hyena, she appeared remarkably well groomed. Her fur was an astonishing silver, lined with elegant stripes of midnight black.

Kamili cleared her throat.

"Matriarch…" The older hyena said, "I bring before you King Kiava, of the Pridelands." She said. Kiava took one more daring step forward, shooting a glare at the guard hyenas, before they moved so much as an inch to stop. Then he bowed his head.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." He said.

That sent ripples through Kamili's court. Exclamations of surprise. Shenzi rolled her eyes. She'd told Kiava that Hyenas had different codes of respect but he hadn't listened. Haana stood up. Licked her lips uncertainly.

"Um" She caught herself "You may stand." She said clearly caught off guard. For a moment, Shenzi wondered if that had been Kiava intention to befuddle and confuse Haana as he had her court upon meeting their _royalty_. Wait a moment. If he _had _had he meant to that time with her?! She looked to Kiava who seemed to be hiding some amusement.

No.

Surely not.

No. Definitely not, she decided. He was just attempting to be polite. She wiped that thought from her mind. He wasn't _that _good.

Kiava stood up. Then, he flashed a smile to the three hyenas on the throne.

"Well then. You asked me here. What can I do for you?" He said politely.

The change in tone was so abrupt that Asante had to bite back a laugh. She realised too late that she and her clan had become used to the young King. The others didn't know what they were in for.

"I didn't really think you'd come if we simply asked you…" The brown haired hyena said, looking pleased. "But I guess you were right to send you sister out looking for him after all…" She observed. _Sister. _So Kamili was Haana's sister? That didn't make sense. Kamili was clearly the older of the two. Why wouldn't _she _be matriarch?

"Well, I came." Kiava reminded them. Haana took a breath.

"Is it true?" She asked him. Kiava cocked his head.

"Is what true?" He replied.

"Is it true what they say?" She tried again.

"Who is 'they', and what is that they say?" Kiava probed. Zuri rolled her eyes. Haana gave him the same withering glare Kamili had given him. Yes. They were definitely sisters.

"We have received rumours that you had somehow defeated the Shai'tan known as _Amun_. The Tiger Lord of the Shai'tan Imperium who was sent by Ben-Kai-Ra to conquer the non-compliant Shadowlands. After Shenzi flat out refused to join the Imperium, he sent Amun along with an army to conquer her kingdom. Our reports say that you appeared at some point after this. And that Amun was killed soon after.

Now, we see the Martirach of the most powerful Hyena Clan, travelling in the company of two lion cubs, a lioness and a handful of other creatures non-native to Shadowlands. We are left to draw out own conclusions from this mess." She said. Ah. Now she sounded like a Matriarch.

"We are left… uncomfortable with the situation…" The Brown Hyena said.

Kiava raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed? And what about the situation frightens you?"

"Did you defeat Amun?" The Black said, ignoring the question. Kiava nodded.

"Yes. He's buried under a tonne of rubble at the far end of skeleton canyon if you wanted to send someone to investigate it." He winced, trying not to rub his injuries.

"May I?" He motioned, and sat back down gratefully. Craning his neck up to look at Haana was beginning to put a crick in his neck, and he wasn't fully healed from the venom yes. He could feel parts of his muscles still simmering away as the damage both the mamba venom and the hellshade had done to him repaired itself.

The three hyenas glanced at one another, and the black swore.

"You actually killed him then? Damn it."

"Damn it? You'd think you'd be pleased…" Zuri interjected, then stopped as all three looked at her. She tried not to shrink away.

"Be silent! You'll speak when spoken to!" The Black Hyena snarled.

"Now, Vurugu, let's not be unkind. They are all our guests here, not prisoners to be interrogated at our leisure, _isn't that right?_" The Brown hyena said giving him a pointed look. The Black hyena's gaze flickered to her, and he snorted, but didn't saying anything. Nor did he apologise to Zuri who looked a little taken aback by his reaction. Kiava might have objected, but it didn't seem wise at the moment.

"You must forgive Vurugu," Haana said. "When we heard you had defeated Amun, we were rightly concerned. You see, until now, we have been left to our own affairs the mur-_defeat_," she caught herself, "Of one of the Emperor's Servants here, will have drawn attention to _us. _The Emperor will not leave this unpunished… And there is concern, that he might not be in the mood to differentiate between those responsible, the rest of the Shadowland's other kingdoms." She said. Shenzi glared at her.

"In short, you've spent the last year avoiding contact with the Imperium, keeping your heads down, and are now worried that Kiava's heroism will suddenly force you to pick a side when Ben-Kai-Ra tries to wipe us from the face of the earth?" Shenzi said. "Isn't it nice to see such moral fibre in the Shadowlands these days?" The contempt in her voice was clear, and Haana sighed.

"Isn't it a bit rich for you to talk of integrity and honesty, Shenzi? You are as consistent as the moon when it comes to warring sides in conflicts in these parts." She said. She looked at Kiava.

"I am curious. What makes you think you can trust her?" She asked him.

"We've come to an arrangement." Kiava said carefully.

"So did Scar. And Zira for that matter. Look what happened to them. Whatever you've promised her, I hope you know that it benefits her far more than it does you. I hope you didn't pay in advance." She let out an exhausted sigh. "We value our independence, King Kiava. But that is coming to an end, one way or the other." She shot Vurugu a dark look. "We have always known that Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra wouldn't be content to ignore us for very long. He sent forces to the Spotted Clan's lands after they refused his suggestion of alliance… By putting his messenger's skull in a geyser…" She said dryly. Zuri looked at Asante in surprise, who winced sheepishly.

"He… annoyed us. For a diplomat, he should really have known when to shut up…" she observed. Kiava choked. _Not lions… _he reminded himself for the millionth time. _They're hyenas. Their ways are not our ways…_

"Yeah… It's in the pile somewhere…" Shenzi waved a hand lazily to the throne on which Haana now sat. Haana shook her head, ignoring the comment.

"We knew that once they were done with your clan, only time would stand between them and our borders."

"That's why you didn't forbid your clans fighters for joining up with the Shai'tan. You were stalling. But for what ends?" Zuri asked. The brown hyena gave a bitter laugh.

"Everyone needs to eat." She observed. "And of course, those who were well positioned, were occasionally able to send messengers back to us. We've had good relations with the vultures for several generations… And vultures tend to follow the Shai'tan's armies around. I can't think why." She said.

Kiava let out a slow breath, understanding dawnign.

"Your hyenas haven't joined the Shai'tan's armies. Their _spying _on them. That's how you know what happened to Amun! You knew as soon as the Emperor found out. You've been feeding off the rumours within the Shai'tan's armies themselves." He deduced, sounding impressed.

"The easiest way to know where an army is, is to be _in_ it…" Vurugu said, grining. "It was my idea." He added. Haana rolled her eyes.

"I wish it were that simple. Not _every _Striped hyena in the Shai'tan's forces is able or even willing to report back. Some just want to eat. Others _do _just want to kill stuff. A few have even bought the bile that the Shai'tan preach about _the Law of the Strong._ But even if they don't tell us anything useful, a larger number then Raeveal would like to think will remember their true loyalties when the time comes. I am aware of my kind's reputation in the Pridelands… We are a crude people, I'll grant you, but we aren't stupid, King Kiava. We know that we can't avoid conflict with the Imperium for ever."

"So what is it you want with me?" Kiava asked.

"Shenzi's actions have forced us to consider our paths. One is to prepare to fight the Imperium head on. Our other option, is to join the Shai'tan fully." Vurugu said calmly. The others looked around in shock. He shrugged. "I like to keep options open."

"You can't _trust _Ben-Kai-Ra." Kiava said firmly.

"We _know _that." Haana said, shooting Vurugu a glare that spoke volume.

"It's just that a deal with the devil is preferable to outright suicide." Vurugu commented. Haana looked at Vurugu sadly and shook her head. Then she stood up, and walked down the throne of the Shadowlands. And Kiava noticed for a second time how young she looked. Inexperienced. Although she'd clearly been ruling for longer than he had, he could tell in her posture, in her eyes, that it was a recent development for her.

"What we want to know, we three who represent the Hyena clans, is if we can trust _you." _She said. Without turning to look at her clanmates, she stared at him, and slowly, sank to one knee.

"Your Majesty… We are willing… That is, _my Clan… are willing,_ tojoin you in your war against the Imperium. If you will have us. For all of our safety." Haana said. Kiava tried to hide his surprise, and as Asante outright gasped in shock at the sight. Some of the other hyenas began to mutter to each other. _Hyenas do not bow. _He remembered Asante telling him so often. Not all of the murmuring was good, and he could see Kamili scowling some distance away at her sister's behaviour.

"Do you speak for the other clans?" Kiava asked her softly.

The brown hyena gave a sigh.

"We gathered here together to discuss what we can do. Ideally, we'd like to act as a single entity in this. No Matriarch or Patriarch will _force _the others to do as they do. As for the Brown Hyena Clan, my Matriarch has given me permission to negotiate a similar agreement on her behalf. She won't swear her hyenas with blind obedience without extracting at _least _a few promises and reassurances from you. But it is her desire for an alliance, yes. Just don't' expect her to kneel to you." She said looking unhappy but resigned "Of me for that matter." She said. Kiava looked to the Black Hyena.

"We didn't agree to join the Shai'tan. Though some of us argued for it." Haana said.

No need to guess whom it had been that had taken _that _opinion.

"My clan is _not _convinced. How desperate are we that we throw in our lives, with the will of a _child. _A _lion cub child. _And a son of Kovu at that. That royal line has brought us nothing but trouble in the past. What evidence is there that we are any better off with him then we are standing alone? Do we avoid one war only to be used as fodder in the other?" he asked the three hyenas. They looked at one another, Haana looking unsure.

"There are… _many… _within my clan who think we ought to seriously consider throwing our lot in with Shai'tan. I myself am undecided on the matter." He said. Shenzi snorted.

"There's a surprise…" She said, her derision for the Black Hyena Clan apparent in her voice. Haana stood up.

"Come with me." She said, and left the hyena throne room.

* * *

They climbed up the spiralling centre of Carrocscirr, until they emerged from the very top of the bone palace. The ivory seemed to melt away, until they stood on a thin jagged outcrop of rock that was all that remained of the stone base of Carrocscirr. At the very highest point, a pair of skulls and a single elephant tusk tipped its peak. High in the air, the wind was strong and the height was dizzying. To the south, one could easily make out the sickly Swamplands, and the plains of the Pridelands. The unmistakeable silhouette of Pride Rock was nowhere to be seen. Looking westward, the Great River, and Trinities point could perhaps be made out, and beyond that, the Outlands.

"Everywhere you look, there is fighting, war, devastation. The herds are a rare sight, even in the Pridelands. Its green land is decaying – not as bad as under Scar, but there is still plenty of time for that to happen… The corruption of Shai'tan is _obvious _to anyone with eyes…" Haana said. She looked to Kiava.

"I don't trust them. I don't want to ally myself to them. But I can't afford for my Clan to remain isolated. I have to declare allegiance to _someone._ Or my entire clan will risk extermination."

"Vurugu doesn't seem convinced."  
"Vurugu might not trust Ben-Kai-Ra, but he trusts you even less. Your father was King of the Outlanders, before he was King of the Pridelands. Vurugu remembers when his clan was reduced to a mere handful of pups by Zira and her followers. They slaughtered his clan in the years between civil war and its conclusion."

"Why would Zira do that?"

"Who knows? Some say she finally discovered our role in the Mad King's death, but if that's the case, I couldn't tell you why she didn't attack any of the other clans." Haana shrugged.

The others had followed them up now, and Kiava could see for miles. He nodded.

"I would greatly accept your allegiance, Haana. I would be honoured to fight beside you." He said honestly. Haana gave a sigh that was almost relief.

"You can never know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I just hope that Vurugu can be persuaded." She said. The brown hyena nodded.

"We can discuss specifics at another time, King Kiava. But know that the Brown Hyenas will stand with you too, if the others do." She said. They looked to Vurugu, who grunted.

"No." He said.

"Vurugu _please._" Haana implored him. The Black Hyena was impassive.

"There is nothing I can say that will –" Kiava tried.

"Words are _wind. _King Kiava. They mean nothing in these lands. Scar used _words._ They were his weapons more than his teeth and claws. These are the Shadowlands."

He looked around.

"Fight me." He said. "Here and now. _Show_ me, that you are serious about what you fight for. _Show_ me that you believe you can win. _Show_ me that you defeated Amun. _Show_ me the sort of King you are, Kiava. Prove it." Vurugu said.

Asante's eyes widened in panic.  
Kiava wasn't ready for this! The climb up Carrocscirr had nearly exhausted him! He was injured, he was weak! He couldn't fight!"

Kiava swallowed, looking at the scarred hyena.

"Show me that you aren't a coward who will use us, and then run when things get hard." He said.

The Brown hyena sighed.

"If you insist on doing this…"

"I do. If he loses here and now, we know that his defeat of Amun was a coincidence. Or luck. Or both. If he backs down, we know he's a coward. We can see for ourselves the sort of King he is." He said. The Brown Hyena hesitated.

"There… is truth to this…" She admitted.

"I think so too. Good thinking, Vurugu." Kamili said. Haana shot her older sister a look.

"You can't be serious."

"I am serious. Come on Haana, think about this! Do you really think our clan would follow a coward or a weakling just because you told them it was a good idea? Not only would they not trust _him, _they'd stop trusting _you."_ She said to her. Haana swallowed, feeling things spiral out of control quickly.

"Kamili, I-"

"Its okay, Matriarch". Kiava said, breathing, preparing himself for a fight. Asante stared at them.  
_"He planned this… This is what he's wanted since laying eyes on you,"_ She said looking at Vurugu. Somehow she knew it, just by looking at the gleam in his eyes.

"What's the matter Kiava? Frightened of a fair fight?" He asked the king. Kiava was, but didn't say anything. Instead, he merely frowned.

"No. The concept just seems a little…"

"Barbaric? Unsophisticated? Uncivilized?" Vurugu asked. He laughed. "Welcome to the Shadowlands. Just the way we like it." He said.

"I was going to say _crude. _You mean to stake the future of your clan on my fighting skills?"

"You're asking me to stake the future on your ruling skills." Vurugu pointed out.

"_Kiava_!" Zuri told him. "You can't!" She said urgently.

"I agree, this plan is _not _a good one." Bhagari said quickly.

"I have no choice… If I back down now, it will be as bad as losing…"

"He'll mince you, and then you lose every chance you had of ever allying to the hyenas!"

"Don't you trust me?"

"I don't trust _him. _This is a perfect opportunity for him to get his claws into you without anyone interfering. For all we know he just wants a crack at killing you on the Shai'tan's behalf and _forcing _the other clans to ally with the Imperium. In any case, you can't fight in this condition, its madness!" Zuri told him furiously, though keeping her voice low. Kiava was unmoved.

"I can't back down now! It could do more damage than losing!" He said.

"Not if it costs you your life! Kiava for pity's sake, he a fully grown Hyena, not one of the Shadowpups! You'd struggle against him at your best!" Zuri reminded him. Kiava snarled. She was right and he knew it. But what else could he do. Suddenly, Zuri's face lit up. "Do you trust me?"

"Completely, what do you have in mind?" Kiava said without a moment's hesitation. Zuri gave a soft grin. Then she turned around.

"Vurugu!_ I_ will accept your challenge!" She said loudly.

* * *

Miles to the South-East, to Five Stones and the surrounding grasslands, three young felines moved in synchronisation. It was midday now, and some of the Asiatics had gone hunting, meaning that there were fewer guards then normal. Helio had lead the hunting party for the second night in a row, and the young lion was an experienced and thorough hunter. He was cautious and preferred complicated ambushes with minimum chasing. Which meant high quality meat, but was a long time in the coming. Which meant that they had a small window of opportunity before they returned.

Inti, Koron and Calin made their way between the two dens the rebels had control of. The darker of the young lion cubs looked determined, though Inti was unsure.

"Koron… Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked. Koron rolled his eyes.

"I am not stupid, Inti. If I didn't think it was, I wouldn't be doing it, would I?" He pointed out. Inti cocked his head.

"Okay. Let me rephrase that. _I _am not sure this is a good idea." He admitted. The leopard cub, Calin winced.

"I don't think we have a choice. This might be our only option. We have to try this." He pointed out. Inti sighed, but nodded in agreement. Inti took a few breaths. Then stepped out in front. The small contingent of guards looked up as Inti approached them. Karina, Darina, and Forn, as well as a single Asiatic lioness. The two jaguar females and the grizzled wilddog stood to attention at his approach, and the lioness blinking, stood up quickly upon seeing her fellows do the same, though she did appear confused. She was the only one not to be sporting some kind of injury or another as a result of their previous battles, though the regular attendance of Yessen and Rafiki had, for the most part healed the more excessive injuries they had sustained.

"Good morning." Inti greeted them casually.

"My Lord – Sorry. Inti." Darina replied, remembering a moment too late that Inti was disinclined towards such a title. Possibly because he didn't _technically _have one. But the jaguars and leopards both shared similar codes of honour and respect that distinguished them from their leonine brethren, one that was very focused on titles, respect and an aristocracy of sorts between prominent families. Unsurprisingly, the leopards – and to a lesser degree, the jaguars – had continued this tradition up joining the rebels and appeared to have internally conferred some title or other upon the leadership of the rebel factions. There were few who didn't address their defacto ruler as _Lady Vitani, _and Danyal was always referred to by his assumed title of _Majesty, _regardless of his own opinions and wishes on the matter. It had been difficult enough persuading the Asiatics to cease referring to him as _Slayer. _Convincing the _leopards _to call him by name was next to impossible. That said, Inti couldn't help but feel a little flattered that the rebels – especially the former slaves – thought so highly of him and his sister.

"Karina. Are you healing well? I thought you were still resting from your injuries sustained at the glade? Should you really be on guard?" Inti asked. Karina frowned slightly.

"I can rest just as well outside of a cave as I could inside it. This way I can do something useful at the same time… Not that the dogs are putting up much of a fight. Once they realised Mortread had abandoned them to their fates, I think they were grateful to be alive, much less be considering escaping. But I thank you for asking, Inti. I am _recovering _well from the recent battles." She said. Truth be told, Karina had been relying on one of the three resident Shaman to assist her in her recovery, and though Rafiki had informed her of the benefits of natural healing over shamanic intervention, their powers as healers had been essential in making their forcing fighting fit so soon after each battle. What would normally demands months of healing could be accomplished in weeks, and went some way in mitigating the advantage the Shai'tan possessed over them in terms of sheer numbers.

"That's good to hear." He said. Forn the wilddog, raised an eyebrow.

"And what, might I ask, are you doing here, young master Inti?" Forn asked of him. Inti hesitated, but at a look from Koron made him press onward.  
"I wish to speak to one of the prisoners, one of the captured wilddogs." Inti told him. Forn barked a laugh.

"That is out of the question." Forn told him firmly, and the jaguar sisters winced at his bluntness and looked back to Inti apologetically, though none of them moved.

"I wasn't asking." Inti said, his eyes narrowing. The jaguars then glanced at one another as their eyes locked with his taken by surprise. As usual now, they burned with a flaming intensity. His flame orange eyes were the same colour as his mane-tuft, and the jaguars both knew from their own experience that Inti was a force to be reckoned with in a fight. Not that they expected a fight, but it was rare that he was so forceful. They also knew him to short tempered. Forn met his gaze steadily.

"You know I can't, Inti. For one thing, neither of us can leave our posts, and there is no way we are letting a trio of cubs confront six wilddogs alone, that's not a fight you can win. Aside from anything else, Lady Vitani gave us strict instructions that no one else was to speak with them, not for a moment. She seemed to be thinking of Lukaan, but I don't expect she'd be too impressed with me letting you or your sister through either. Vitani is of the opinion, shared by me, that the slightest piece of information gleaned from someone other than her could break her tenuous attempts at breaking _them. _There are… facts… that they should not be made aware of." Forn said delicately.

"You mean like our current predicament? Wait a moment, are you saying I _wouldn't_ be able to control my emotions?" Inti asked, irritably.

"I wouldn't know. I wouldn't risk it." Forn said.

"You don't think she poses that same risk herself?" Koron asked.

"I am not entirely convinced Vitani _has _emotions. She's got a heart made of ice that lioness." Forn replied honestly. "Yours is made of fire."

"That's a little harsh." Calin replied, the leopard frowning. Forn shrugged. "Ice is beautiful. It shines best in the night. It's unyielding and strong. You can see it sometimes, at the highest peaks of the Mountain Lands in what used to be King Malka's Kingdom, where I lived before the Shai'tan tried to recruit me. Not that I ever went high enough to see it more than once." Forn said, shuddering at the thought.

"I promise not to divulge any secrets, intentional or otherwise to the captured wilddogs. I just need… to see him. Please." Inti tried again. Everything depended on this. If they couldn't even get access to the dog in question, they had no chance, and might as well give up.

"Why do you need to see him so badly?" Forn asked curiously. Inti hesitated. The truth was unlikely to be of help here. The whole truth at any rate.  
"That dog. You know who he is?"

"How could I forget him? How could any of us forget him?" Forn scoffed at the question. Any of the slaves would have known him by sight. Calin looked confused at that remark though.

"What's so special about this wilddog?" The young leopard asked him. Darina sighed.

"This creatures' name is Harrin. He's one of the Four Pack-Leaders of the Shai'tan's armies, and was one of Rish'ut's greatest warriors. He is one of Mortread's favourite underlings, and he was in command of the wilddogs stationed at Golgorath during our imprisonment there. More than that, he was directly responsible for the leading the wilddog attack that crippled our King, and kidnapped Sara and Inti. He's probably the most dangerous of all of the Shai'tan's dogs, easily their most valuable, and bears the weight of more pain then any of the Imperium's commanders, other than the Shai'tan themselves." Darina told him. The jaguar couldn't disguise her contempt in her voice, her hatred bleeding into it. Who could blame her? Calin shuddered.

"I… see." Calin said slowly. Inti cleared his throat.

"That's why… Why I need to speak to him. I need to know… I need to see him here. _Broken._" Inti said. Karina gave a bitter laugh.

"If you're expecting _submission_ from that one, you'll be disappointed. He knows when he's beaten, but he's also prideful and shameless of his actions. Vitani's been at him for hours and he's nowhere close to breaking." She said.

"Even so…" Inti said. Forn looked around.

"I am not sure… He's still dangerous. He probably hates you more than anyone… Going in there would be extremely dangerous for anyone, but for you? I know you can take care of yourself, but Vitani would have my throat if he so much as touched you and we can't leave our posts." He reiterated.

"I'll be there with him." A voice said. The cubs turned around and Forn jumped. Jahi. The adult leopard looked startled at their reaction.

"What are you doing here?" Forn asked suddenly suspicious. He knew and trusted Inti but he barely knew this new coming.

"Nothing important. I can leave if you would-"

"No." Inti interrupted. "Is that okay? If he comes with me? You don't have to abandon your post, and no one else needs to know… I need this Forn. You understand." Inti pleased. Forn looked at Jahi. He was the former Imperial. The defector. But he himself had temporally been an Imperial wilddog – though only until he could make his escape… Oh. That had turned out well hadn't it? Jahi had betrayed his former comrades, as he had. And he had joined them at the earliest opportunity. Forn had sort of just been swept away by it all. He sighed, then nodded his head.

"Prove yourself. Not a scratch. Or Vitani will be the least of your worries." Forn said. Jahi nodded, and the jaguars parted to let them through. The cave was small, and there wasn't much of a tunnel. Even so, Inti, after giving his thanks lowered his voice.

"Well timed." He congratulated Jahi. The leopard nodded, looking smug. He had timed it perfectly. Calin pushed onwards.

"Okay. Forn will want to give Jahi a chance but we'll have a few moments at the most. So let's make this quick." The leopard said. He looked up at Jahi. "Thank you by the way." It had been the younger cub's idea to include Jahi in their plan. Inti had been impressed at his idea, and the three cubs and their adult guardian followed through to the prison cave as quick as they could.  
The tunnel was dimly lit, and smelt something awful. Calin's nose wrinkled at the scent. Waste and food remnant assaulted his nostrils. Koron stopped suddenly as the familiar pungent smell reached him. He froze. Suddenly, the cave seemed darker, the walls tighter. Only the damp and the blood was missing. He breathed quickly, trying to get a grip of himself, and shifted his body, letting more light into the cave. It was an odd sensation, like his blood running cold. Fear, without an obvious source of danger. How unlike him.

"Koron?" Inti asked suddenly concerned. Koron swallowed and opened his eyes. He gritted his teeth, and the feeling was gone.

"Nothing." Koron said quickly as it passed and he pushed forwards, trying to suppress memories of Golgorath.

* * *

When they reached the inside of the den, he knew his reaction was unfounded. Clean, bright light flooded in from a small crack high in the ceiling, and though six dogs shared these quarters, the ceiling for the cave was four times the height of the dark and dingy cells he had been sealed in. Only the cent was the same. One of the wilddogs climbed to his feet up seeing them enter, and gave a short bark. The other dogs leapt to their feet suddenly, eying them. Calin looked around, keeping all of them in sight. Although they were outnumbered, there were two dozen fighters outside, ready and willing to come to their aid at a single cry for help, and among them two shaman, either of whom could bring down the den top of them. They were in no danger.

"Harrin". Inti called out. But he knew the dog when he saw him. The wilddog commander of the legions of the Imperium looked at him with his familiar fierceness. His lips parted a tiny fraction, displaying yellowed teeth and his eyes glinted. Calin swallowed, looked to Koron for reassurance. The dark cub appeared to be steeling himself. Surprisingly, he looked calmer than Inti for once. Wary. Cautious.

"Ah. I did wonder if you would come, Inti. Fate does have a sense of humour after all." The dog said.

The words were spoken so calmly and with such cheerfulness that Inti felt a sudden spike of anger grip at him. The jaguar guards had been right. This dog wasn't broken. He didn't look like a dog in captivity.

"How so?" Koron asked. The lion cub wasn't fooled by the wilddogs calm demeanour.

"Well, when Inti and I first met he was the prisoner and I was the jailer. Ironic. Is Lady Vitani so desperate now that she sends mere children to interrogate her prisoners?" He said.

"Do we look desperate to you?" Koron said. Harrin looked at the dark cub, and for a moment he was the one looking wary. Then it vanished.

"Ah. Koron. I had a feeling that I would be seeing you again. You're a survivor. A fighter. I trust that Sara is keeping well also?" He said. Inti growled softly at the mere mention of his sister's name, but Harrin spoke over him. "Did you come here to see me one last time? Or to face your own demons?" He said.

Inti snarled.

"Despite what I may have said outside, I didn't come here because I let you frighten me, Harrin. I didn't come here because I am haunted by what you did to me. I didn't come here because I need to know anything of you. I am here, because _you_ are going to help me save one of my friends." Inti said, scowling. Harrin looked around at the prison cell he dwelt in and gave a bitter laugh.

"Vitani implied she needed information for a reason, too… Like I told her, Inti, you're going to be disappointed. I am not going to betray my comrades to you, or my leaders. I am no faithless rouge, I am a solider of the Shai'tan Imperium. What sort of scum do you take me for? A turncoat or a coward?" He looked at Jahi, and smirked. "Oh I do apologise, present company excepted." He said. Jahi restrained himself, and stood there in silence. He looked to Inti who didn't move. They were running out of time.

"You _will _tell me everything that we need to know. You will answer ever one of my questions. Or I will _make _you." Inti said. Harrin looked at Inti and Koron and locked eyes with the dark cub. Scarlet eyes met scarlet eyes. The other wilddogs looked at each other uncertainly. Harrin shook his head.

"Torture? I thought you were supposed to be better than the Shai'tan?" He taunted.

"Did you think for a moment that we weren't?" Koron asked.

"You're not. The Imperium doesn't use child soldiers to win its battles." Harrin pointed out. Inti growled at the jibe.

"I am not a _child_!" He shouted, anger flaring once more. _Calm. _He reminded himself. But he didn't feel calm. He was restless. Anger. Wounds that hadn't ached since Golgorath felt reopened. Hatred burned in him, strong and fierce. This wasn't the contempt he felt for the Imperium, this was _personal_. Raw, odious bile surged through him. Calin looked at the two lion cubs, both obviously affected. They hadn't anticipated this. For a moment he was uncertain. Perhaps taking two tortured and captive lion cub's underground, far from their guardians and placing them in contact with the source of their troubles hadn't been the best idea. Harrin was unphased.

"Yes you _are_! You and your sister can't even have been off _milk_ for very long before this war started! You are _cubs, practically newborns when Pride Rock fell. _Mere children fighting an adult's war, meddling in affairs beyond your understanding. It somewhat undermines the whole _interrogation _thing when the threats come from the mouths of babes." Harrin said. Inti growled.

"I told you. I am not a _child." _And without warning,Inti swiped out with his claws. Jahi gasped and Calin yelped in surprise. Three lines of red burst into being on Harrin's cheek and the wilddog gave a sharp intake of breath. The other wilddogs in the cave were suddenly very still. Harrin himself was silent.

"Maybe some of those here among us _are_ young. Maybe we are fighting an adult's war_._ But whose fault is that? What difference does it make? You and your ilk tried to murder us either way. Did you think any of us fought out of choice?"

"You all have a choice. Vitani _chooses _to hide her rebels behind a shield of younglings. She has only herself to blame for this."

"A _shield!" _Inti could have roared with rage. Calin's eyes were wide with shock, and with anger of his own, though he said nothing.

"There was no _shield _when Calin's parents were slaughtered! No shield for Talib's mother! Leviath _destroyed _King Malka's family, and threw their bodies from their den! Did you think there were no cubs among them? Ras and Rei were almost killed by their own parents on Rish'ut's orders! Calin was nearly murdered by a pack of wilddogs just like you! Talib was survived execution by a _hair. _We're not fighting a war, we are fighting for our _right to remain alive! _There is no benefit to being a _cub _this war, Harrin! We die the same as any of them. We just do it quicker." The flame haired cub shouted. Jahi shuddered, and turned to Inti.

"Inti, let's get out of here. This was a bad idea. He's nothing but-" But Inti was having none of it. He shook Jahi free and pushed himself forward, pressing his face up against Harrin. Though the dog was twice his size and didn't back down, Inti didn't look scared. He was furious. All of the rage, anger, hatred and murderous bitterness that had built inside him during his captivity in Golgorath, all of the misery he had endured came pouring out of him unplanned and unbidden. Inwardly, he berated himself. _We don't have time for this. Focus! Focus on what matters! Not what this slime did to you. Focus! Danyal. You need to help Danyal. _But it was no good. Reason and rationality were blasted apart.

"I am not a _cub _any longer. My name is _Inti_! Some of the fighters call me _Lord_ Inti, Lion-Lord of the Rebels. I am Leader of the free fighters. Fighters that we freed from your imprisonment beneath the Black Tower! How _dare _talk down to me, as if I were some random child you found during your slaughter!"

"Fighters… _Criminals_ you released from their punishment. Murderers, traitors, dissidents, backstabbers, the scum of the earth." Harrin interjected. The other wilddogs looked at one another nervously. If any felt the slightest shame or regret for their actions in the light of Inti's fury, none showed it, but they were unbalanced now. Even Harrin's earlier air of nonchalance had evaporated.

"Criminals? And what crime had _I_ committed!" Inti snarled.

"Inti…" Koron reminded him. "We don't have time for this." Inti ignored him.

"What great treason did I commit? Why did do, Harrin? Why did you _bury_ me in the cold and the dark? Why did you lock me beneath stone and blood? Why did you seal me in a cave with no food, water, air or light? Why did you make me _hurt _my own _sister? _Why did you make me _bleed _in front of a baying crowd? Why did you make me try to _kill _another child, one of my own _kind? On the orders of a Mad Tiger Lord? A Shai'tan – despised by their own species?! THEY are the traitors, the murderers! They are the monsters! _**_You _**_are a monster! I did NOTHING. NOTHING other than be BORN and you, _**_YOU did that to me! _**Rish'ut might have given the order but it was _YOUR snarl I feared! Your jaws that snapped_! _You who fed me rotten meat and trapped me in a pit with my own filth until you needed to drag me out for the sport of your deranged, decadent pack of sell-claws_!" His voice was becoming unintentionally shrill now. The young cub's eyes were flaming burning with a terrible ferocity. He gave a cry of rage and swiped again. Harrin made no attempt to dodge, and more lines burst into being on his face. Deeper now, burning hot with pain. Harrin winced, his teeth grinding, and letting out a quick grunt.

"How do you even _live _with yourself? You talk to me about the scum of the earth? Golgorath held the scum of the earth alright."

"I was kind to you in Golgorath, compared to the other dogs. I fought to have Rish'ut and Amun spare your life. I thought you might have remembered that." Harrin said slowly. His expression was unreadable, but the wilddogs around him were nervous. There was something about this flame eyed cub that unsettled them.

"_KIND!" _Inti exploded. _"Kindness would have been cutting my throat in my sleep! Instead of living in a hell on earth, thinking my family was dead and that I would spend the rest of LIFE living like a termite, valued less than a worm!"_ The flame tufted lion was almost weeping.

Calin looked on in shock. This wasn't what he had thought would happen. He had reasoned that the captured wilddogs might know something, or perhaps be able to be traded for Danyal. Jahi, he had thought, would only me needed for their protection, and all had been required would have been to sweet-talk their way past the guards to get a few words with the wilddogs without Vitani's notice – who would certainly have tried to stop them.

This wasn't what he had imagined would happen. This was terrible. He looked at Jahi. The older leopard looked lost. If Inti were his own cub, he would have snatched up Inti in his jaws and left there and then, but Inti was a large cub and Jahi a small leopard, and he was loath to take his eyes off the wilddogs at any rate. Not that Inti would have allowed that to happen, for every time Jahi tried to place himself between Inti and Harrin and move him to the cave's entrance, the orange haired lion had shaken himself free.

He wasn't the only one who was anger though.

Koron looked on impassively. His own expression was unreadable now and when he spoke, his voice was ice cold. Icier than glaciers. His gaze was murderous, and Calin noted that every word that Inti had spoken rung true for Koron as well. He snarled.

"Disgusting." He said of Harrin, and the dog turned from Inti and looked at him. The other wilddogs fell back a little. "We could kill you now. You couldn't stop us. We could leave the horrors of Golgorath buried in the dark once again. I for one, could move on with my life without the shackles of Golgorath dragging me down every time I enter a cave." He said, and his voice was like ice. So that was what had happened when Koron had entered. Calin remembered that Koron slept outside the dens, beneath the stars. The air became still. Calin looked around wildly at that, the young leopard cub suddenly looking shocked. _No. No. No. No. No._

"_Koron." _He hissed. _"This wasn't what we agreed! _This wasn't what we came here for! Remember! We _need _him! Vitani needs him!"Jahi looked startled, and then looked panicked.

"To hell with Vitani. And too hell with what _she_ wants. This is what I _want._" Inti's eyes blazed. They could. Easily. They could killed Harrin. He if charged him now, Jahi would have no choice but to intervene on their behalf. And he would use lethal force. Harrin looked him in the eye. He shook his head.

"Is it really? What you want I mean? I don't think it is. I don't think you're that sort of cub, Inti." The wilddog said after a moment. "I watched you fight in the Black Tower. I watched you struggle to do all that you could to save those in Golgorath. You aren't the type to revel in death. Believe me. I've worked with them. You couldn't bring yourself to murder me."

"You're wrong." Inti said. "Look in my eyes, and know I am not lying." He said, thinking back. Back to Seba. Back to killing the injured wildcat, back to exacting sweet, blessed revenge. "I could do this. I've killed wilddogs already. Not many, but some. I've not backed down from a fight, and I am not stranger to battle. Not anymore. You saw to that."

"I am defenceless." Harrin said honestly. But Seba had been as well.

"So were my friends. The ones the Emperor had killed in the Arena."

"I am not the Emperor."

"And I am not Prince Kiava!" Inti retorted. "That didn't stop you." He was silent for a moment. He said. "No. I won't kill _you_. And I won't demand Vitani order your _execution_ – though kings know you'd deserve it. I can't say the same for your _friends. _" He said. Harrin started at that.

"They are prisoners of war!" he said, shocked, and the other wilddogs looked up in alarm. Jahi groaned. The only thing keeping them placid was the fear of a swift death. If that became in evitable… He couldn't fight six at once…

"You are a murderer and a traitor." Inti replied harshly.

"You just happen to be useful to the Pride." Koron added with the slightest trace of malice. "The rest of your pack can expect to die as soon as it becomes apparent that they are _not._"

"Useful to you _how_?" Harrin asked quickly. Inti hesitated, then he let out a breath. Calin silently praised the Kings. _Finally. _Something less toxic.

"Following the battle outside, a number of our people were captured by Mortread. They attempted to follow him through a portal that Mortread opened. How did he do that?" He said quickly, almost stepping in front of Inti. Harrin looked down at the young cub.

"The portal? I don't know, you're the ones with the Shaman. Mortread said… He said that Marsade did something to their blood. Spilling their own blood on the ground can recreate certain effects… Let's them set up a way to communicate quickly in an emergency. Some form of bloodmagic…" He said unhelpfully. Inti rolled his eyes, but Calin gasped.

"Is your blood treated the same way?" He asked quickly. Harrin snorted.

"Kings no. You think I'd have let that crazy shaman near me with his hocus pocus? Besides, you think I'd still be here if I did?" He asked. That was true.

"A pair of our friends tried to follow after Mortread when he escaped. Instead the Gateway swallowed them. We believed them to have been captured." Calin supplied.

"Truly, I sympathise." Harrin said, deadpan, looking around at his own imprisonment.

"You are going to help us find them, and you are going to help us get them back." Inti said.

"Now why on earth would I do that?"

"Because I asked nicely." Inti said.

"Heh. Or else what?"

"Or else I'll stop asking nicely." Inti said firmly. Harrin looked around.

"No." He said. "You can torture me all you want… I can tell that Vitani is just _itching _to, you can't take the outlander out of her, no matter what she likes to pretend. I guess she's more like her mother then she admits. She can barely restrain herself when she comes in here. You've lasted longer than she normally does. No. I am not going to betray my comrades, or Lord Mortread." He said. Koron was the one who spoke.

"A surprise, given how quickly he abandoned you, your expendable to him."

"Are you any less expendable to Kiava?" He asked. Inti didn't deign that one with a response. Instead he looked at Harrin.

"You're a curious puzzle, Harrin. A wilddog with loyalty? With integrity? Until I met Forn I wouldn't have thought it possible. Yet here you are. On the face of it, a powerful warrior, swore to a cause he believed in, who likes to pretend he has honour. What could possibly motivate you to fight for such a thing as the Imperium? What could they have done for you to inspire such loyalty? Mortread is a charismatic leader of course – in as much as a snake is charismatic as it stares you into its death trance. But perhaps it is something else? Something _much _closer to home." He said. Inti looked calm now. One of the wilddogs shivered.

"See, when Calin suggested we investigate using the captured wilddogs to rescue our friends, we thought back," Koron continued, "back to our last _encounter _in Golgorath, when Sara spared you the agony of their mother splitting your skull in two. I remember you being caught by Almasi. I remember Sara asking to spare your life. And I remember your response. It stuck in my memory. Even as Almasi wanted to carve out your throat your only response was to say that you followed your _conscience_. _"The Shai'tan have provided for my mate and cubs. If I die today, it will be because I refused to watch my children starve to death."_ Wasn't that what you said?" Koron asked. Harrin froze.

"What's her name, your mate?" Koron asked, nonchalantly. Harrin swallowed and said nothing. Koron shrugged.

"Ah well. I don't suppose it matters." He pointed to Jahi. "You said you recognised Jahi. Where did you recognise him from?"

"He… He fought in the Emperor's legions… Not my force, so I didn't know him well, or even his name, but…"

"He's not just here for his strength or his speed though. Would he be recognised as a fighter for the Emperor in Golgorath?" Koron asked. Harrin didn't answer. He knew he would be, especially with some of the other wilddog commanders.

"Let us suppose for a moment, that he simply strolls into the grounds surrounding Golgorath… Let us also suppose that he brings with him the tragic tale of Harrin's Last Stand, where he fell to allow Mortread time to escape. Let us suppose – just for the sake of argument – that he requested directions to Harrin's surviving family? In order to inform them of the terrible news?" Koron said.

"You'd be lead right to them…!" One of the wilddogs muttered in horror. Koron grinned dangerously. Inti spoke. Calin tried not to betray his own uncertainty. Surely Inti was bluffing?

"He, and Calin and Talib would be able to walk into the legions of the Shai'tan and out without anyone batting an eyelid. They could kill any guard that stops them, and anyone in your precious _Imperium _would simply assume them to be following the Emepror's _Rule of the Strong. _I will rain hell down on everything you love, Harrin, whilst you rot in a hole in the ground, as I did. I won't tell you when the deed is done. You can rot in the uncertainty and the unknown, as I did. Perhaps I'll let you fight your fellow wilddogs first, for our amusement. Then, when you're unable to be of any further more use to me, I'll end your miserable existence once and for all." Inti promised him. Harrin looked at him in horror. His face was turning a sickly shade of green, and he looked as though he wanted to throw up.

"My family is innocent! Don't involve them in this."

"My mother was innocent! My father and sister were innocent! The Shai'tan's pet Shaman butchered them!" Koron roared.

Harrin looked from Koron to Inti.

"Vitani would never –"

"- even know about it. This is just between us. Our little secret." Inti finished for him. Harrin looked around, at the other dogs. They looked just as shocked as he did. The hypocrites turned Inti's stomach. Suddenly, the murder of an innocent mate and pup looked so horrible, did it? Harrin watched him for a moment.

"Your two friends that Mortread's. Are you certain they are still alive?" He asked slowly. Good. So he might be willing to cooperate after all.

"If they were dead we'd have been told by now. One of them is King Kiava." Calin said. Harrin closed his eyes.

"Mortread is the most reasonable of the Shai'tan, not the craziest! If you think that he would give up _king_, in exchange for _me, _then you're _insane." _He objected.

"We're not going to _trade_ you. I just want you to get us close enough to Mortread's forces…"

"Forget it. No." Harrin said firmly. Inti said nothing.

"_Harrin! Your son…" _A wilddog hissed to him.

"I said forget it. That's not going to fly – and if you so much as touch one of these other fighters here, then you'll lose even the faintest chance of my… assistance." Harrin said with determination. He looked at Inti, and for the first time returned the hatred in his gaze.

"You were many things in Golgorath, Inti. But you weren't cruel. Rish'ut would be so proud of what he achieved with you. He turned you into a monster after all." He said. Inti stood up.

"No, Harrin. You did that. Rish'ut just taught me to use the claws that come with it." He said. And without another word, they left the caves.

When they emerged, Inti pushed past Darina and Karina without a word.

* * *

"Hey –!"

"What happened?"

"Did you –"

He ignored them.

He and Koron walked away in silence. Jahi stayed behind to reassure Forn and the jaguars that Inti was fine, and that nothing had happened, and Calin ran after the two lion cubs.

"Guys!" He said, struggling to keep up. Koron stopped, and appeared to have his eyes closed. In a single breath, he inhaled the fresh air, and basked in the sunlight. When he opened them, the brutality that infected his eyes was gone. He looked around.  
"I am going to find Sara. I might go hunting later. You coming?" He asked his friend. Inti have a non-committal grunt, and Koron left. Just like that. As if the whole episode hadn't happened.

Inti sat down, brooding, picking at the dirt with a claw. Calin sat down beside him.

"Think he'll talk?" He asked slowly. Inti grunted again.

"Undoubtedly. Tomorrow at any rate. After he's had the whole night to dwell on the possibility of his family being murdered. Its daylight still. Once the night has been, once he's been in the dark with nothing but that thought…" He trailed off.

"You… You wouldn't really hunt down his family, would you? Or execute the other wilddogs? Not while they're prisoners?" Calin asked slowly. Inti was silent.

"He was a damned fool for blurting it out like that. He exposed a weakness. You can't do that and expect _someone _not to exploit it. First rule of the Pits…" Inti said.

"That's not what I asked. And you're not in the Pits anymore." Calin reminded him. Inti said nothing. Sara had returned to her usual self pretty soon after the Pride's had reunited. Even Koron had been changing, making an effort to know the other creatures he fought with, and altering his cynical outlook. Only Inti remained… unfocused.

"I don't know." He finally admitted.

"What?"

"I wouldn't have let _him_ live. Maybe I'd have spared the others dogs but… Not _him_. Not after what he'd done. As for his family… Would I have followed through with the threat? Probably not." He said, though he didn't sound too sure. "But I definitely wouldn't have let _him _know that though… even as Vitani cut his throat." Inti said. Calin shivered. That was cold.

Calin stood up, making a decision.

"Goodbye Inti. See you tomorrow." He said. Inti barley acknowledged it, lost in his own thoughts. Thinking over everything that had happened in the cave… and everything that had happened before.

* * *

After an hour, he heard returning footsteps behind him.

"Calin?" He asked, as he turned.

"No." She said. "Not him." His mother made her way over to him. Inti almost rose from where he sat. She nuzzled his cheek gently. She didn't say a word. No words we needed. For a moment, Inti didn't move. Then, he thrust himself towards his mother, embracing her.

"Sssshhh…" She said softly, as she had when he was a tiny cub, who wouldn't stop mewing. He had forgotten that. She licked him again. "It's alright… My Son. It's okay now." She said, knowing without him saying anything what he had felt, what he had been feeling since their return. And despite the love he felt, despite the joy he felt upon his rescue and release from Golgorath so many weeks ago, their relationship hadn't been the same. He'd been more distant. Focused on training with the rebels, leading the slaves and all of that. Unlike his sister, he hadn't taken the time to reconnect with his own mother.

But perhaps he didn't need to. Because in that single moment, something passed between them.

And Inti felt something inside him melt.  
A splinter of ice wedged in his heart since his imprisonment in Golgorath evaporated. The hatred and cruelty that he'd been nursing suddenly felt childish. Felt ignoble somehow. And without wanting to, he felt himself shake. Tears, unbidden, began to form in his eyes, and he let them fall.

Like a newborn cub, he buried his face in his mother's fur. She embraced him tightly, pulling him close, almost curling around him.

"It's okay." She said again. "It's _over_ now. It's all over… And it will never happen again. You don't need to be someone you are not any longer… You don't have to be _Lion-Lord Inti, _you don't need to be a fighter, or a commander… You can just be Inti again… It's okay… " She whispered to him as he wept.

* * *

**AN:**

**Kamili means ****_Sharp _****by the way.**

**Vurugu means ****_Violence._**

**Haana is a ****_lionisation _****of Hannah, (like Danyal is of Daniel.) Kinda cheating, but I liked how it sounded. However, it's apparently Maori for 'Armour' which is pretty cool.**

**Some interesting Clan Politics, with the new Hyenas. We'll see how this new challenge to Kiava's rule turns out soon. But in the mean time…**

**Wow. What an emotional ending.  
I'll be honest, originally, there was only a short piece of Inti vaguely threatening Harrin until he broke and agreed to help them rescue Danyal. The Chapter was originally entitled 'Clan Politics' and was meant to focus primarily around Kiava, with only a quick check back to Inti at the end.**

**But as I wrote it, I realised that although Sara might remain objective enough to do so, there was no way Inti or Koron would remain level headed in that situation. It isn't in them to remain calm with a person such as Harrin.**

**We, the readers, view Harrin as something of a noble creature, but to Inti and Koron, how could he be anything other than a monster? The wilddog who kidnapped Sara and Inti and was responsible for their imprisonment to begin with. Inti and Koron have memorised every detail of what Harrin said, including that little titbit about his family. Something that Inti now uses against Harrin and the other dogs.**

**If it wasn't clear, it was Calin who sent Almasi to find her son after his almost-breakdown before Harrin, recognising that she needed to speak to him now. And hopefully, Inti can begin healing.**

**And while it happened off screen, Koron sought out Sara because he needed to calm down and decompress slightly. He too will undergo something of a transformation after this event, while Inti will revert back to his previous personality, though matured by his experience, Koron will develop further into the cub he is ****_meant _****to be, not what he was forced to become under the Shai'tan's reign.**

**Merry Christmas All! Have a fantastic year!**


	23. Chapter 22 - Echoes in the Dark

"**Also, one little tidbit about the Lion Guard!  
It's is now confirmed that they are going to have Kovu, Vitani and Nuka in it! Isn't that going to be interesting? Maybe they really *are* going to do what I thought they were going with? And they're setting up for a Lion Guard Movie? Who knows? In any case, I am seriously considering blending any future projects with the Lion Guard Universe.**

**Response to the latest chapter has been positive. I am glad you guys are still reading the series. It's been a few years now hasn't it?"**

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

You picked up a lot of the subtext there. Good job. Glad you enjoyed it.

I think I covered most of your points in a PM, so I'll simply say good day, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well!

**Ultimateblack: **

You're an optimist. Nothing wrong with that. Kiava is actually succeeding, but I couldn't have things be going well for all of the character all of the time, could I? Story thrives on conflict. It depends on it. That is after all what this story is about.

Isn't it interesting to see how Inti has gone from the thoughtless, fun-loving goofball to the cold General of Kiava's Armies? Sara is still pretty much the same person, though she is much more confused emotionally. We still need to deal with how she feels about Danyal remember. But Inti? He's a different. He's been changed on the inside by his experiences, and not in a good way. There are always casualties of war, and innocence is often the first.

As for the lion Guard, you're in luck. Apparently, the finale episodes will feature Kovu, Nuka and Vitani as cubs (Though voiced by their adult voice actors – so they're probably a little older, like Kiara is.)

**Shadow: **

Glad you liked it! I'll work on expanding Character Glossary in my profile, and prepare a comprehensive one for the AN of the final book. In the meantime, if you have any questions, just ask.

Some people really like Harrin. It's interesting how early on he was seen as a sort of sympathetic character. He's not the worst of the wilddogs by any means. I think he's an interesting character.

Your so very pessimistic! I wouldn't kill of a major character, would I? Would I? Hmm. Your right I would. But who will live and who will die?

**Author: **

The reason Haana's sister isn't ruling, isn't a major plot point, so I may as well tell you. It was a part of the characters backstory that kinda got cut, since there was no reason to bring it up. Haana's Father was the Patriarch of the Clan before Haana, (male rulers are rare, but not impossible). Essentially, Haana and Kamili are _half-_sisters. Haana and Kamili's mother had an affair with another Hyena that produced Kamili. She also had Haana, but her father had a reputation for being a weak ruler, which might have been why their mother was unfaithful. Some of the other hyenas were always suspicious that their mother didn't really love their father, and only mated him to make herself more powerful. As a result of this, when their parents were killed, Kamili couldn't get enough support to claim the throne herself, and instead supported her sister, since the alternative would be a brand new dynasty, and they would therefore lose all rank.

Haana is aware that her position is precarious, and she isn't a particularly strong ruler. She also very young. In human years, about 15/16, and is Asante's age. But whilst Asante has her powers, her family, and Bhagari, Haana was sort of thrown into the deep end.

Hyena politics are much more vicious than lions, and so therefore she's sort of floundering around, trying to stay in control.

I expect Vurugu reminds you of Caliban. He is descended from him after all.

Enjoy!

**Trombone:**

Hello there! Nice to see a new face. You've actually spotted something there. Suffice to say that the Imperium isn't nearly as stable as Ben-Kai-Ra would have you believe. The Emperor is wary of using creatures not native to the Pridelands to quell resistance, as he doesn't want to reduce his control on the other regions, and he doesn't want widespread knowledge of a rebellion against the Imperial Throne. Rebellions are like wallpaper bubbles. You press down one, and another pops up. He's trying to keep it oppressed with local enforcers to prevent rebellion spreading. I am not saying it's a good idea though. Do expect to see some more creatures soon. I was saving a few surprises for this books finals chapters, but you'll see some soon enough. Leviath is particularly fond of Jaguars and Panthers, and Raeveal? Well, you'll see about Raeveal.

Kiava would be foolish to challenge Ben-Kai-Ra directly. Indirectly though? He did manage to kill Amun remember. At least at this point at any rate. His priority is defeating the Imperium, rather than the Emperor.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Echoes in the Dark**

* * *

Sundar couldn't tell at what point night had fallen, but it was clear from the tiny cracks in the ceiling of the cave they lay in, that the sun had long since set. The termite mound that was their cell was very dark, illuminated only by the soft, blue light of her own powers, which manifested around her as soft, luminance tendrils of mist. The light gave off no heat, though in fact they seemed to sap the warmth from the air, and she could feel her teeth chitter in her jaws.

By the soft blue light, the worst of Danyal's injuries were not visible. She could feel and smell the small puddle of blood forming around him, but mercifully she didn't need to see it.

What had those monsters done to him?

He was covered in small wounds and she had no doubt whatsoever that Mortread had been responsible. He was covered in injuries, from head to toe, even the soft flesh around his eye was swollen and bruised where he had sustained several heavy blows. Worst of all was a severe wound in his back, a stab or puncture wound that penetrated deep. Were it not for her powers she thought it certain that the injury would have proven lethal.

She sniffed, but stopped herself short of crying. There didn't see much point in that. They would survive. As they always had.

Outside, she could hear the muffled growls and barks of wilddogs. The creatures disgusted her. Of all the creatures the Imperium could bring to bear against them, why on earth did Mortread have such an apparent fondness for wilddogs? Perhaps it was their pack behaviour that made them susceptible to orders? Her ears twitched as she listened.

Danyal's breathing had changed. Then he let out a cough, spraying blood.

"Danyal? Danyal!" She nudged his sleeping form gently. The young lion let loose a low moan. Then his eyelids flickered.

"Su…Sundar?" He asked tentatively. His eyes snapped open. Was this real? Or another illusion? Another memory?

He gasped in pain.

No the pain was real – physical at any rate. It ripped through him. _Yes. _It was real alright. He tried to move only for spasms of agony to wreck through him in an instant.

"Danyal, no! Don't try to move, please." She implored him. Danyal lay still, looking up at the lioness. He reached up a paw to her and she smiled at him. "Thank the Spirits you are alive…" She said. The light around them flicked out and plunged the cave into darkness. For a moment, he could see nothing. He shivered, and reached out a paw, which found Sundar's quickly. She knelt down, and licked his cheek, eyes wide with relief.

"We're alive… We're alive… Thank the kings we are alive…" He managed to gasp between deep breaths. The air was cold, but Sundar's body was warm. She lay down next to him, resting her head next to his neck, and gave a low purr.

"Danyal-"

"Sundar are you alright? Did they hurt you? What happened to you whilst I was–?"

"I am fine. They didn't hurt me." She said.

"He said… Marsade said…" He trailed off.

"They haven't done anything to me." Sundar promised him. Danyal believed her. The Shai'tan hadn't touched her and Marsade's ambitions for his twisted experiments involving Shaman remained, for the moment, unfulfilled. The relief he felt at that was palpable. He let out a breath slowly, giving silent thanks to the Spirits, the Kings, the Stars and any who might listen. Sundar however, though clearly relieved to see Danyal alive, couldn't help herself.

"Danyal… I thought I had lost you… I thought you were gone… I didn't know if you would wake up…" She told him quietly. Danyal looked away. Marsade wouldn't have killed him. He needed Danyal alive, because keeping Danyal alive was the only sure way to keep Sundar drained and exhausted. He couldn't be the one to tell her that.

"I… am not going anywhere…" He told her, looking in her eyes once more.

"Well… that's okay… because I think we're stuck here for the time being. Any idea where we are?" She said looking around at the darkness in the cell. Danyal sighed, glumly.

"None. These kind of termite mounds are littered all over the Outlands. Where they border the Shadowlands the area is filled with rocky ravines and crevices, but this side of the River, these moundcaves are the only reasonable source of shelter in the area. I should know, I sheltered in enough of them as a cub to know that they aren't comfortable at the best of times." He gave a half-hearted smirk. "Strange to think that those were probably the most peaceful years of my life. Apart from a brief span under Simba's rule." He said. Sundar sighed.

"I've done all that I dare to heal your wounds. If I do much more they might just decide to torture you again." She told him, unable to soften the blow. At that prospect, Danyal's eyes widened.

"No. Kings no. That… would not be good." He said swallowing, looking panicked at the thought. Sundar couldn't help wincing at his obvious fear at the idea.

"What… What did they –" She began to ask tentatively.

"You really don't want to know." Danyal said softly. Then, at the expression she made, he sighed and gave in. "The Shaman…Marsade, he crawled around inside my skull for the answers he needed. They know everything _I_ know about the rebels. They know that Kiava's missing, they know about Jahi and the defectors, they know about Vitani and her ludicrous schemes. Everything Marsade wanted to know, he tore from me. Eventually I… I… couldn't bare it any longer." He admitted. He left the final thought unspoken. The horrible truth that by the end, Marsade needn't have been inside his thoughts to know what he wanted from Danyal.

"_Danyal_…" Sundar didn't have the words. He shook himself. Her pity was born out of compassion he knew, but even so, it railed him to let her see his weakness.

"Anyway. After that, he even did something to my dreams. Yessen doesn't know the half of it. We knew that Marsade was cruel, and ruthless. I don't think we realised just how mad a creature he is now though. He makes Scar seem the pinnacle of rational thought by comparison." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Marsade is… Unhinged." He said. "The ape is haunted by what happened to him so many years ago. He tried to show it all to me I think. Tried to make me understand. He wanted me to _see_ as he did. See what happened."

"Why? Why would he do that?" She asked him.

"I don't know… I don't think he wants to admit his own madness. I think maybe was trying to justify himself." Danyal said.

"What did you see then? What did he want you to understand?"

"I… Am not sure. There were pieces missing. Fragments I didn't see. Gaps. But I saw what happened with Shan-Al-Kir. The first Emperor." Danyal said. And he began to recount to her what he had seen. Some aspects of the tale Sundar was faintly familiar with, but the magnitude of the Shaman's involvement and the detail with which he described it was new to her. He recounted the origins of the Shai'tan's hateful teachings to Sundar.

"I don't understand. If Marsade hated the original Shai'tan so much, what does he work for them now?" Sundar asked him. Danyal shook his head.

"I am not sure he's ever worked _for _the Emperor. In fact, I don't think he's even been worked _with _him. There is something else going on here. Something we're missing." He guessed. He turned his attention to Sundar.

"But enough about what happened to me. Are you alright? What happened to you? You said Marsade didn't hurt you?"

"No. They did… nothing like that." She said. "But I did have one visit. From Castella-Ra."

"Who?"

"The tigress. You remember?"

"She isn't one of the Shai'tan."

"No. That's Castella. She… Is Ben-Kai-Ra's daughter. Heir to the Empire. And his Jewel. She is younger than any of the Shai'tan, but don't mistake that for weakness. She's her father's spawn in every way, and she matches his cruelty." Sundar said. Danyal let out another breath.

"So… _That _is the Emperor's Jewel. It's a _person. _Not an object. Makes sense. Rafiki didn't think an object of power could be his weakness." He said looking disheartend. It had been a fools hope to even seek the Emperors supposed weakness.

"She's a coldblooded killer, Danyal. And she's fanatically devoted to her father."

"Well… So much for that then." Danyal said. He closed his eyes.

"What… do you think will happen now? How are we getting out of this?" Sundar asked him. Danyal paused.

"We can't."

"Danyal, don't give up."

"_We_ can't get out of this. _You, _on the other hand, _you, _they can't begin to control. You could make a break for it whenever you liked. Marsade can't keep slipping away from the Shai'tan to do whatever he does when he's alone, _and _keep an eye on you at the same time. When the opportunity presents itself, you can bring this tower to the ground. It isn't Golgorath, but it should make them scatter. Then you can get away. Maybe even meet up with the others." Danyal said. Sundar shook her head.

"Danyal… I am exhausted. Yessen is a good teacher, but I've barley begun to test my powers. It's all I can do to keep you alive, much less get us out of here." She said mournfully. Danyal nodded, licking his lips.

"True."

"Aside from which, I couldn't leave you here among these _monsters, _the thought is abhorrent_. _Perhaps, when you've healed…"

"I _won't_ heal. Marsade plans to… continue… those experiences, long after he's finished pulling every bit of knowledge from me." He said, his mouth becoming dry at the thought. Sundar looked aghast.

"He told me he would, but I thought…Why would he…?" Her eyes were wide in horror.

"Yes. You see, Sundar? I am the shackle they use to bind you. The tool with which they'll keep you weak. You… Need to bend your will to finding a way out. Not waste it on me. The… the next time they… drag me back here, you need to leave me as I am. Let me heal on my own in my own time." He decided.

"Heal on your own?! Danyal, they drove a _spike _through you _back!_ You can't heal from that on your own it nearly killed you! What if they do _worse?" _She asked. Danyal was silent. "Oh no." She said. "Don't even think about it."

Danyal didn't look at her.

"Didn't we agreed after your little _episode _before the Battle of the Glade that you would stop trying to trade your life away like some prized meat! In fact, I distinctly remember discussing it at _great _length." She said, her anger enflamed. Danyal turned to her.

"Sundar, please!"

"NO! Danyal, I _swear to you. _We are going to get out of this alive, whole and most importantly _together. _We won't leave each other behind, alright? After everything we've been through, _this _isn't going to stop us!" She said. Danyal swallowed, looking at her. "What?" She asked him. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I was just realizing. That I fell in love with one hell of a lioness." He said. She blushed.

"Danyal. Is this the time?" She asked him, though her stomach danced at his words. Danyal steeling himself. Then nodded.

"Yes. Yes, this is _exactly _the time. We'll do this together. We'll do whatever we need to do here, together, whether that is to escape, to survive, to fight or to die we'll do it together. And if we _do _manage to get out of here, then I want to promise you something… I want you to know…" he licked his lips. "That once we return to the ones we love, then I will stand up to Vitani. I'll tell her where she can stuff her crazed idea to _unite _the Prides." He said it firmly, determination dripping him, banishing all his fears and doubts. "It's madness, and I will tell her so to her face. I don't care what she says or what she does… She made me king and I will won't bow to her whims." He pushed himself upright, ignoring the sharp jets of pain which struck him.

"Danyal-"

"I am not done. After I have done that, I'll do the same for Lukaan. Your Father, and Vitani, if they have ever loved either of us then they will understand." He let out a breath.

"Understand what?"

"Sundar… I am not King Kiava. I am not some nobleblooded heir of some great kingdom. I am the orphaned son of a nomad and a rouge I've never met, But what I _do _reign over, is _myself. _I am the king of _me._ And that is all I can offer you but if you want it then it is _yours_." He said.

"Offer me?" Sundar asked, looking surprised. Danyal groaned inwardly and swallowed. No turning back now.

"Kings damn it Sundar… Give me this reason to survive here. I… _We love each other. _I am asking you to be my **_mate_**. Not for a cold political mating, not for a pretend ceremony before two divided Prides. Not to be mockeries of Kiara and Kovu to cement Vitani's rule – however well intended. Not because our families asked it of us to buy them something. But because I love you, completely and utterly, with all of my heart and every single part of me. Kiava might be my King, and Vitani might be his regent, but they don't rule _me. I do that."_ He looked up at her. His eyes were wide. He was frightened. Scared. Their fragile world was collapsing around him. Torture and death seemed a certainty. Rescue seemed impossible. Escape was unfathomable. Pain and death were all that was left for him now, bar one, shining beautiful thing. Now, despite the earlier resolve, she could feel tears stinging her eyes. She hoped the gloom concealed them to Danyal's eyes.

"Vitani and my father don't rule me either. But neither do I. _You_ are the only King in my heart, Danyal_ you've long since won that". _Danyal let out a slow breath.

"I love you..." He whispered to her.

Alone in the darkness, in the desolate wastelands of the Outlands, with its scorching sun by day, and freezing nights by night, the two lions lay together.

"I love you too. I don't want to wait for the end of a war that we might not win, and I can't wait when we could face death at any moment." She told him. And they knew. They could see it in their eyes, feel it in their hearts.

"Okay. Together then." He said. "Sundar, we–"

"_Come on Sis, get a move on! He won't find us in here!"_ The words reverberated around the termite mound, and made Danyal and Sundar jump to much that he felt as though the world jaunted with him.

"**_What_**_!?" _Danyal gaped in surprise. The voice was either a young male or a girl. What was that doing in the armies of the Shai'tan? How had they gotten past the guards?

"Who's there?" Sundar asked, looking around in surprise. The voice grew louder, and a small lion cub came through the tunnel. He didn't look at Danyal, nor Sundar, his attention was behind him, and he spoke again, addressing some unseen voice.

"Quickly, in _here_!" He said.

"This is ridiculous!" Came the scolding reply. "You'll just get us into trouble again!" This one was definitely a girl. The owner of the first voice moved into sight. It was a dark cub, with a brown fur, and dark mane. His eyes were emerald green, and he moved with comfortable self-assurance. He didn't see the two old lions. Instead he moved into the termite mound and look around.

"This'll do." He decided.

"Who are you?" Danyal asked, lowering his voice when he saw the cub. "How did you get past the Shai'tan's guard?" The cub didn't as much as look at him. Instead he turned his head around. "Are you coming, Sis?" He asked. And irritated response came from behind him as a second cub followed him. This was a lighter cub, with electric blue eyes, the faintest outline of freckles on her face, and a prominent fringe – an usual feature for a female, but not rare.

"When Mom finds out we've bunked off again, we are _so _dead." She told him. "And it's your fault!" She reminded him.

"Relax. She won't find out. And before you worry, I've already taken care of our dearest brother, he'll be distracted for now. And even if he doesn't notice that we've gone, he'll not admit to mom that he lost us again – not after that last time."

"Last time, Mom nearly scratched his eyes out." She observed, remembering the incident vividly. "I guess we're fine for a short while then." She agreed.

"See? What did I tell you? Nothing to worry about!" The boy said, grinning. He sat down with a flop, and laid back, exposing several bruises on his body. The girl was no better, and looked thinner and more ragged than the boy.

"Who are you? I didn't think that there were any Outlanders left! What are you names and what are you doing here!" Danyal said, about to drag himself over to the two cubs. The girl moved over to them, and then… passed straight through him. As if he were nothing. Sundar gasped in shock.

"They… aren't real!" She gasped. Danyal stared in shock.

"Illusions! They can't see us, either. It's the same as before." He gasped. But he was awake now. How was that possible?

"Come on Vitani," The male said. "We've been training straight for two _days. _We need a rest, and there's no way mother will give us that. Not now." He. Vitani shook her head.

"She's been pushing us _both _since your little jaunt into the Pridelands, Kovu. You've rattled her again. Even the others have noticed. She's acting strange." She said.

Danyal leapt to his feet.

"_WHAT!" _He gasped in shock_._ He pulled apart from Sundar and she winced. Kovu and Vitani both evaporated before their eyes like mist, fading into nothing, the sound fading to a whisper and the sight gone a moment later. Sundar gasped aloud.

"Was that Lady Vitani? As a Cub?" Sundar shook her head at the sight. Danyal was dumbfounded.

"So its true. The things I saw of Shein really _did _happen… and they happened here – or near to here at any rate." He murmured. He turned to Sundar.

"Vitani and King Kovu were raised in the Outlands the same as I was – but earlier… when Zira was still at war with the Pridelands. You met the lioness, and that was one of her more stable points. In that time she was insane. She trained her children to murder Simba, and usurp the throne. She was obsessed with Scar and wanted nothing more than to restore his dynasty to the Pridelands. She was banished here… and she took her cubs and her followers with her…" He shook his head.

"It was so _real." _Sundar gasped. Danyal shuddered.  
"_How is this possible?"_ Sundar asked. A good question, and one that Danyal dedicated his energies now too. If nothing else, it gave him something to focus on other than the impending torture and death at the claws of the Shai'tan.

"We actually saw… what happened here… in _this very mound. _This must have been where Kovu and Vitani came to escape Zira when she was at her harshest." Danyal said, looking sad as he thought of it. How cruel did a mother have to be, for her children to flee to somewhere like this? To see the desolate and grim caverns of the termite mounds of Golgorath, and the other mounds as sanctuary? Sundar saw his expression and he sighed. "No child should have to endure what they did. Maybe she changed later in her life, but no matter what Zira did, she can't change the past. Zira was a cruel lioness and terrible mother. She might have died doing the right thing, but I _dread_ to think what they went through… Whatever Zira did to them, she shaped Kovu and Vitani into lethal killers. Cold, ruthless and murderous. She poisoned their souls." He didn't want to dwell on it. At least Kovu and Vitani had relative freedom compared to _their _situation.

"How did… how did we see it? I didn't _do_ anything. Nothing Master Yessen taught me was anything like this…" Sundar said. Danyal hesitated comprehension dawning at last.

"It must be left over from what Marsade already did to _me. _When he tried to show me what happened to the Old Imperium and his friends. He must have… I don't know… lifted something. Made me able to see it… Like how the Shaman can sense each other, and when you use it? Some other way of seeing not everyone has?" He guessed wildly.

"How did _I_ see it then? Marsade didn't do anything to me…" Sundar asked in confusion.

"You were touching me. And you've already got Shamanism in your veins." Danyal guessed. "I can't imagine Marsade meant to do it… whatever it is he's done. I wonder… if he even noticed?"

"If he didn't mean to do it to you, it'll probably wear off soon. He wouldn't be foolish enough to do such a thing permanently. " Sundar reasoned, thinking quickly. Danyal nodded in agreement.  
"Good. I have enough ghosts without seeing them wherever I go." Danyal said, soundly slightly relieved at the thought of it.

_How intriguing._

The words reverberated in Sundar's head, but so softly, she almost thought she'd imagined it.

_I've never seen anything like that. Marsade's powers are clearly no longer growing. They're evolving. So do such a thing and not even notice it._

Sundar thought she could recognise the words.

She remembered them.

During the battle of the Glade. She'd fought visions, shades of herself. Her other selves. She gained control of her powers, opened the gateway.

And the voice had guided her. Her own inner voice.

It had served her then.

_Can he do this all of the time?_

Perhaps it would serve her now?

"So you can see these… echoes? Of things that happened here?" Sundar asked him. Danyal hesitated. That sounded about right. _Echoes_

"I guess I can." Danyal said. Though who knew how long for?

_Maybe you could use that to escape? A possibility._

"Wait. If we knew where we were… perhaps we could figure something out? If we knew precisely where we were beyond 'somewhere in the outlands', could we figure a way back to the others?" Sundar asked him

"We'd need to get past the guards…" He trailed off Sundar could do that. By herself of course, but she could do that. And if she _could, _she could get back to where it was safe. "Why?" He asked. Sundar paused.

"I was wondering… well… what if you did that again. Could we learn something useful?"

Danyal stared at her for a moment. He looked blank.

"Well I don't have any better ideas." He said. "Except… I have no idea how I did it." He admitted.

Inspiration hit Sundar. She held out a paw.

"Here…"

She felt around inside herself for the familiar well of power that flared into life when she touched it with a thought. Her eyes began to illuminate the grim cave. Then she extended her presence out of her. Along her paws, through her limbs. She couldn't have explained to anyone – even if they asked – how she knew what to do. This just _felt _right. It wasn't dissimilar to when she used her powers for healing. She left her power move into Danyal, who couldn't help but jerk as the alien presence moved through him. She wove her way deeper. _There. _She could feel it inside him. Like the last burnt out embers of a fire. Still faintly warm, but its heat could still be felt.

_There._

She pushed her self towards it, feeding it with her own power. There was a brief flare, a flash of power inside them both. Danyal let out a small sound, as he became aware of it, igniting once more. He let out a breath, and for a moment, the faintest tendrils of red light emerged from within him. It was nothing like the luminous brilliant light of Sundar's powers, nothing so incredible and nothing like as powerful. Indeed, he had barely any control at all. He simply exhaled, and concentrated on the bizarre feeling. While Sundar's powers felt… _right_, felt natural, and she was at ease using them, the splinter of Marsade's power inside of him raged within him, feeling alien, unwelcome, and unpleasant. He was glad to know he'd be rid of it soon enough – whenever it would be.

With a faint whisper, she saw two shapes begin to take shape. Translucent at first, but gradually becoming solid, the shapes of two lion cubs reformed in front of them.

* * *

It was Vitani and Kovu once more – though obviously some time had passed. They were older, and seemed harder almost. Vitani's coat was rough and dirty, whilst Kovu eyes seemed darker. Danyal realised that the boy was scowling.

"How long before sunset?" He asked aloud. Vitani snorted.

"There's time. Time enough to get back before anyone notices we're gone again. Don't worry yourself." She said, looking annoyed at his obvious nervousness.

"I don't want Mother to know we've been gone again…" Kovu commented. Vitani rolled her eyes.

"It's fine. This is the first time we've come here in weeks. We've been training for _days_ without end like good little cubs. It's too much_._"

"The reason why we've not dared do anything else in weeks is because _last _time we tried, mother nearly caught us…" Kovu pointed out. Vitani scowled.

"That wasn't might fault… How was I to know she'd come back early? Or that she'd send one of the lionesses rather than Nuka?"

"I didn't say it was… But I don't want to do it again… If she knew we were sneaking off here, instead of –"

"Instead of spending every waking minute under that burning Sun? Or worse, practicing sneaking into the Pridelands you mean? She won't kill us over it…"

"Easy for you to say. I am the _Chosen One, _she says. Higher standers etcetera etcetera. Higher standards means harsher punishments…" He rubbed a paw on his arm without really thinking about it. Vitani glanced at the bruise, her expression softening. He was right. Perhaps she was being selfish.

"Fair enough." She said. "But at least you still get full rations – no matter _what _you've done." She said. Kovu grimaced. At his expression, Vitani sighed.

"I guess you're right though. No need to be reckless. Let's head back –"

"_Kovu! Vitani!"_

Kovu swore. Danyal blinked. Vitani looked around her ice cold calm evaporating into panic.

"Damn it! Last time she went hunting she wasn't back till sunset!" Her obscenities didn't hide her dread. If their mother discovered they'd been sneaking away from training _again_ there would be hell to pay.

"_KOVU! VITANI! I know you're here!" _The voice was muffled.

Kovu glanced at Vitani, and jerked his head to a smaller mound in the corner, lurking the shadows.

"Hide. When it's… safe… come out and try to get back home before we do. I'll slow us down and say you were still training when I left. You should get back in time." Kovu said firmly. Vitani's eyes widened at the merest thought, and shook her head.

"Wait, Kovu –"

"There you are!"

The two cubs turned around at once, their faces expressions of pure terror for the briefest moment. Then, their faces fell in relief, when the owner of the voice entered the cave. Kovu sank to his knees.

"Oh… Thank Scar. It's only you, Kul." He said. Another lion cub came into the den, the cub of one of the other outlanders from the look of her.

"What the blazes are you doing out _here?" _She asked them both. She arched an eyebrow. "Sneaking out of training again? Queen Zira won't like that…"

"Yeah, well she's not going to find out, not if ya know what's good for ya." Vitani said harshly. The cub backed up slightly looking offended.

"Just pointing it out, I ain't no snitch. I didn't come all the way out here just to rat on ya, did I? I came to find you, _princess._ _Before_ Queen Zira gets back. One of the lionesses has come back _already_ and apparently she and a few of the lionesses have already made a kill which means that they're on their way back early." She explains.

"What? How could they have made a kill that quickly out here?" Kovu asked.

"That's the point, silly, they didn't hunt out _here_. They poached in the Pridelands today, they're already on their way back… Nuka said you'd sneaked off out here earlier and ordered me to run and fetch you before your mother gets back and realizes that you've gone." She said.

"Wait, Nuka, where has he got to?" Kovu asked, looking around as if expecting to see him. The other cub rolled her eyes.

"We'll talk on the way, get a move on! Chosen One? More like Slow-sen One!" She jerked her head. Shrugging, Vitani and Kovu followed, and Danyal found that he could follow. Whilst he couldn't leave the cave, shadows, ghosts of the cubs surroundings moved instead as they paced the ground and remained on the same spot. It was similar to how he had travelled from Marsade's Lion Pride to Crown Rock, without moving himself.

"So where _is_ Nuka?" Vitani asked.

"He's headed out to the border to try and delay her!" The cub known as Kul explained.

"That stupid old… He knows how irritable mother gets every time she comes back from the Pridelands, he should be staying out of her way! She'll take his head off one of these days." Vitani said.

"Yeah? Well maybe you should have thought of that before sneaking of whilst he was meant to be watching you, eh?" She said. Vitani snorted, but Kovu clearly looked guilty.

"Whatever…" Vitani said. "We're dead as soon as Nuka tells mother where we sneaked off too…" She said looking angry. The she-cub rolled her eyes,

"No you're not." She tsked at Vitani's slow wittedness.

"Yeah? Why not?"

"For the same reason you weren't the last four times he noticed you'd snuck off. What? I told you he was the one who _sent_ me after you whilst he went to delay our _glorious leader_ at the borders."

Now the great looming Spire of Golgorath came into view. The Stronghold of the Outlanders in this time. It was odd, because for Danyal and Sundar little time had passed, but for the spectres, going by their coats, and their panting, they'd clearly been running for several hours, and the sun was low in the sky.

"So Nuka knows we've sneaked off again, does he?" Kovu asked glumly.

"Tsk. Please. The whole _Pride _knows you sneaked off again. Everyone but your mother. Not everyone knows _where _you two disappear off toof course. Nice hide out by the way. What? You thought you'd successfully evaded all detection and managed to bunk of training without _a soul _noticing? Can you imagine what Zira would do to everyone else if you went _missing? _The first time you two vanished there was hysteria. You think the _Chosen One _is going to be able to wander around without _someone _looking where you're going?"

"I… Okay. Fair enough." Kovu conceded without further comment.

"Run that by me again. _NUKA _sent you after us?"

"That's what I said. You going deaf?"

"_Nuka?" _Vitani was still incredulous. But the other cub swore.

"There he is now." She said. The cubs ran as fast as they could, and found the young lion quickly. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he saw them running up to him.

"Sir." The female said, stamping the ground and pulling up strait as her mother had taught her to do in the presence of her leaders. Nuka might be a buffoon, but he was Zira's oldest Son, and one of her lieutenants. Not that that made it anymore forgivable to Vitani who glanced at her response and smirked. "You're here already. Does that mean Queen Zira is already back?" Kul asked him

"Yes. But she's only just taken the kill into the Spire with the other huntresses, which means she's hasn't noticed you three missing yet." He looked at the young cub.

"Good work Kulana." He nodded in thanks.

"Well, you remember that next time you're carving up the shares of meat, eh Nuka?" She said, dropping her formal posture as the young lion swatted at her as she danced out of reach, grinning.

"Cheeky little termite…" He glared at her. Kulana nodded, and pulled back, leaving Nuka with his siblings. Kovu grinned sheepishly at Nuka, his smile freezing as he saw two brand new thin red lines visible on Nuka's face, just under his eye across his cheek. He frowned. Where had Nuka got that?

"Did you –"

"I'll deal with _you_ later, _Chosen One, _the next time that Mother is away. You can bet your sorry hide on it, you won't be able to sit comfortably for _days_… That goes for the _both _of you, you miserable termites." He threatened. Kovu knew he wasn't exaggerating and he licked his lips nervously and nodded. Vitani looked as if to protest, but she bit her lip. Whatever Nuka had in store for them, it could only be a fraction of what their mother would have done to them in a similar position. Which was of course, why Nuka was here now. While Vitani glowered at her older brother at the threats, that thought alone made him feel grateful. Of all of their existence, nothing, no matter what, was more important than the _mission_. Nothing was more vital to their survival then his task. He had to kill Simba. He had to reclaim Scar's throne, no matter what it took. Every day spent without training was another day more to spend in the arid, dusty, blood red lands of the Outlands. Another day of their exile. If their mother knew that he'd spent the day frivolously, she'd take it as a person insult, a deliberate, almost treasonous act that would leave them in the dry and harsh Outlands. And on a day she returned from the Pridelands, her fury on the subject would be all the more merciless. Nuka knew that, and as he glared at Kovu, Kovu knew he'd been lucky. Then he turned to the other cub.

"You got the termites back here in time. I owe you one." He said. She nodded stiffly again. "Sir."

"Now get out of here. And the next time you feel the pressing need to take a vacation, _Chosen One_? _Check_ how long Mother is going to be away for _first_ you stupid little termite." He said irritably. He glared at his sister for a moment. Then turned away without another word.

"Nuka?" Kovu called suddenly. Nuka looked back. "I… thanks for not… I mean… Thank you." He said. Nuka paused for a moment. Then he snorted and stalked away, muttering about various eusocial insects of the infraorder _Isoptera_, scratching away as he did so.

The three cubs watched Zira's oldest son go.

"You're welcome, by the way." Kulana said. At their expressions, she sighed. "You know, for putting my neck on the line for coming to find you? Do you know what Queen Zira would have done to me if she thought that _I'd _somehow been responsible for you two bunking off? Leading you astray? Yeesh. Your training does leave a bit to be desired in the gratitude area." She commented. Kovu winced at the thought. That was a fair point. Zira could well have made the connection. And yet, Kulana had come out all the way anyway – and they'd only made it back in the nick of time. Kovu smiled.  
"Yeah. Thanks Kulana. You and Nuka saved our hides alright. It was… brave… of you to risk helping us out." Kulana smiled.

"Yeah well. Do I look like a Pridelander? We Outlanders stick together." She said grinning.

"Kulana." Kovu said. "What would we do without you?" He asked.

"Feeling sore all over and rather sorry for yourselves by this point, I expect." She said, glancing behind her at the door way to the Spire. What Danyal knew as Golgorath, where they knew Zira to be lurking. "See you later… _Chosen One." _She said,and walked away quickly, unwilling to be there when Zira emerged.

The vision dissipated in a moment.

Sundar turned to Kiava looking excited.

"You see! That means we're less than a day away from Golgorath – and close to the Prideland's border. That means we can't be far from the Great River…" Sundar said. That could given them a rough idea where they were at any rate. She knew that it was good idea to experiment with whatever leftover magic was swirling around Danyal. She looked at Danyal whose face was ashen. He looked pale, almost sick.

"Danyal? Are you alright?" She asked panicked, wondering if something had gone wrong with her powers.

"I… Yes… Fine." He said, swallowing.

"What's the matter?" She asked him.  
"It's just… I can't…"

"Danyal? What is it?" Sundar asked slowly.

"Its… Kulana. That… was my mother's name." Danyal said looking at Sundar is shock.

* * *

**AN:**

**Ta-Da!**

**How was that for a shocker? Kulana's name was actually mentioned way way back in Chapter 1 of this book! So yes, while Sundar and Danyal search for a way out of their predicament, we're going to see some of the Old outlanders! It's an era I never quite got to explore, and I always liked it.  
See, Nuka, Vitani, Kovu and Zira actually represent the archtypical abusive family. And you'll see a lot of that in the subtext of this chapter, with some of the characters interactions. Kovu is a lot younger here. Timeline wise, he already met Kiara, and is beginning to have his heart poisoned by Zira, turning him into the monster we (briefly) see in LKII.**

**So with this chapter, we get Danyal recovering. **

**We get Sundar using her gifts, and a return of her _inner voice._**

**We also get to see some flashbacks to another era.**

**But we'll also see Kulana in action.**

**See in my canon, Kovu and Vitani weren't the only cubs in the Outlanders. There were half a dozen other cubs who left with their mothers. Damu was one of course – whilst Almasi was a cub in the Pridelands and a contemporary of Kiara. (A little older, as she was a young cub when Simba returned).**

**Whilst most of the Outlanders returned to the Pridelands after the Civil War, you may recall that Kulana vanished, only to return, years later, mortally wounded, starving, with a young Danyal in her jaws. She died not long afterwards, and the now united Pride took him in.**

**One comment.  
Although night has fallen with Sundar, we'll soon be returning to Kiava and Zuri, where dusk is still approaching. I haven't been too good with keeping times consistent as we flip between characters, I hope that hasn't been an issue.**

**Also, one thing to note. Although he's seeing these visions, Danyal doesn't have magical powers. He's (sort of) been cursed, in the fact that Marasde has used his magic to do ****_something _****to him. You may notice how when Sundar uses her powers, she is immediately at home with her gifts. Not so with Danyal. This will wear off soon enough – it's like an after effect of what Marsade did to make him ****_see, _****what the land has seen. With a little concentration – and sometimes without meaning to, he can briefly see visions of the past, for things that occurred in the surrounding area. Hence why he is able to see the Outlanders.**

**If you think this looks like a poorly concealed contrivance, that exists purley to give a medium of showing flashbacks… you'd be right.**

**For now though it has a pretty mundane function – and for a story perspective it enables me to get the final flashback in at some point in the future.**

**What?**

**I felt the series was getting a little dark. It needs a more light-hearted overtone here and there.**

**By the way. In an unusual return for next week, we won't be returning to Kiava just yet. Instead… Join us soon, for****_ Chapter 23: Revelations._**


	24. Chapter 23 - Revelations

"**Okay.  
READ THIS  
This is a severe warning.**

**The tone of this chapter is darker than anything seen so far.**

**The overall ratting for this chapter is much higher than the average ratting of this story.**

**Be warned.**

**Firstly, let's do the NEWS:**

**Lion Guard. It doesn't suck.**

**Sure, I am annoyed its for an audience ****_other _****than me, but at least I can take satisfaction in knowing that the kids who are watching and enjoying it are enjoying it ****_properly. _****The characters are quite fun (Youtube Jasiri for an example) and the songs feel Lion Kingish. They use Swahili more liberally than in previous films, and Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani are all scheduled for a guest appearance, played by their original voice actors. Do I smell ****_Movie? _**

**If I ever do any other projects, I shall set one in the same universe as Lion Guard. Just to see if it works or not.**

**But you are here for ****_this _****universe. So prepare for this HUGE Chapter. Seriously. Chapter 20 - A Tale of Five Shaman II, was the previous record holder, with 16,724 this chapter is massive, and is between 25% and 30% of the length of Flood in and of itself! This one is even longer at over 23,000 words and could easily be (and probably should be) carved up into four or more chapters – but if I were to do that, it would affect my 'Plan' which specifies 30 Chapters. So I won't be doing that until the time comes to re-run-through the whole saga on a mass-corrections run. Something I can't face right now, and will likely leave until after Book V, when the series in concluded."**

**And now, the Responses:**

**Wilhem Scream:**

This may, or may not be addressed in the next few chapters. Enjoy!

* * *

**Time Collector:**

Yup. Kai is the main villain. Though he is off-screen much of the time, his presence is keenly felt, and if you wanted to see him in action, you won't need to wait much longer.

I guess I suffered by introducing him so early. See that's the danger in creating dangerous and competent villains. As soon as he shows up, you need to run really fast. For the Heroes to achieve anything, they need to come across other, lesser villains. Which makes it difficult. But don't worry, there is plenty of action with Asamode due in the next couple of chapters. Indeed, stay tuned for some excitement.

* * *

**B1:**

Nice to see a new face!

Hmm. I know what you mean. But it's a little like saying if all 140 million of the US fought Germany during WWII, they could have won much quicker. The civilians didn't fight.

It's a problem with anthropomorphising carnivorous creatures – it's much harder to tell a solider from a civilian. At a certain point you just need to suspend disbelief. The herbivours and prey animals are considered non-combatants, and involving them would suffer a similar reaction to using child soldiers, or slave labour. It just isn't done – even when its an effective tactic.

* * *

**Bryce:**

There will be a conclusion to the flashbacks of Shien's Empire. Have no fear. Some very interesting thoughts you have there. In some aspects, you are very close. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

* * *

**Rudolph:**

Well, it's mentioned that Castella was quite an able administrator, controlling whole continents. She is a skilful ruler, though doesn't tend to fight, or lead armies, and the Pridelands needs generals and governors right now, if the Imperium is to survive there.

I guess a good answer as to why he is willing to move her further into danger, is like asking if you would let your child play near a wasp. Sure, no one wants their child to get hurt by the wasp, but at the same time, would you seriously consider the wasp a threat? Even if you had a friend who's allergic reaction to a wasp sting was horrific?

He doesn't consider the rebellion a serious threat to himself, and this imagined invincibility extends to his immediate family.

And yes. He certainly suspects a Shai'tan of using her to usurp his authority. And when he does, he knows which Shai'tan not to trust. Castella-Ra is no pushover, and won't let herself be used in that way.

In all, it goes to show how confident of his own rule he is.

* * *

**Emir:**

Another new face! Hello.

Zira? Not evil? This chapter might change your view of the character.

Evil isn't necessarily incompatible with good. It's possible for people to do terrible things, and good things. Any creature with freewill, is incapable of living in absolutes.

Interesting that you accuse Scar's enemies of being feeble minded, angry, arrogant, selfish, spoilt, entitled and incompetent.  
Because those are also all things that Scar was. He was all of those things. Ultimately, it was Scar's actions that fractured the Pride, with the others still dealing with the fallout.

Interesting though. The Prophesy only speaks of the End of the Pridelands. Not the End of the World. Don't assume every line to be referring to the same thing all of the time, either.

Deciphering prophesy is always tricky.

* * *

**Author: **

It's a temporary ability, one that is mostly burnt out as of this chapter.

A fair point.

He might have some time – after all there is little value in going back through Danyal's mind, since the next round of torture is solely 'for the pleasure of it' as he puts it, to bind Sundar. However, sooner or later, anything new Danyal knows, Marsade will know. A good spot.

And well spotted with Zira. I don't think it's too unreasonable to say that she both loved and hated her cubs. It's the fact that Zira was so mournful of Nuka's death – then proceeded to try and murder Kovu that opened her mind to Zira's hypocrisy. Then, when Zira threatens her with death, she comes to the conclusion that Zira never really loved her, and determins that everything they suffered was for nothing. This is what really breaks their relationship when Zira returns to the group. Zira was a complicated lioness and quite possibly insane. Glad you are enjoying the story though.

* * *

**Shadow: **

Wonderful to hear you felt it logical.  
That's right. Whilst Sundar feels at home with her power, when Danyal uses the shard of Marsade's still in him, he is left feeling revolted and nauseous, just because it's from a corrupt source.

What's Marsade really planning? A good question. One I hope you'll continue to ask.  
As for what Danyal is about to see? Oh, you have _no _idea.

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Hope? Don't be silly. There isn't any _hope _in my stories. They exist solely to torture people for my petty amusement. 'Tis risky, but who knows what can be accomplished?

I found your theories on the subject very interesting. I hope you like what you see in the following chapter.

* * *

**Ultimateblack:**

Glad it took you by surprise! You're going to love this next one then, if you like surprises.

I am a fan of Shakespeare – you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Britain who doesn't have basic knowledge at least a couple of them. I find it curious that whilst much of them seem archaic an irrelevant in their language – other aspects, such as some of the humour and sarcasm and tropes, are identical to modern storytelling. It is definitely something you need to see live though. Reading them isn't the same. They are plays, not novels. It's quite an experience, and everyone should at least see one. The RSC is the reason you see some many British actors cast as villains. In Shakespeare, the villains get the best roles – where as in American literature, the heroes are the starring role.

However, can we just appreciate the fact that you just compared my style of writing to that of the Titan of dramatic literature?

There is more to see of Marsade's past, but I hope you have a better understanding of the character now than before.

* * *

**Trombone:**

Wow. You were busy. Can I suggest you create an account? This would allow me to reply to some of your reviews directly.

True, Asamode _believes _that Castella is the key to defeating him. Don't forget that this information comes from a Shai'tan though. But you have some good insight into the character. It is a little more complex than that, for reasons that shall become apparent.

Some interesting theories on the future, and the real motivation of characters. I couldn't comment on how accurate those are, but I was very keen to see my readers arguing the in reviews!  
You mentioned Teen Titans's which isn't something I have seen in a long while. I do remember the episode though. That's a lot of guesswork based on one dream Vitani had.

Whilst I loved the take you had on it, Vitani's dream was in this case, just a dream. A combination of her doubts and fears, manifesting in a mad sequence full of pain.

Well observed that the Shai'tan are on their own sides. Some have an overlying loyalty to the Empire as a whole to varying degrees, but they are by their nature, selfish, greedy, cruel individuals, capable of heinous acts.

I studied in the UK, so it's not quite the same Major/Minor system as in the US. But in terms of am not a History major – though I studied the subject in college – and have always interested in politics, religion and history. All three can make humanity capable of both great and terrible things. You wouldn't think it, from my creative endeavours, but in actuality, I am a Physics Major. Time and Space, Light, Energy, Gravity. The entire cosmos is my forte. When I can get the bloody numbers to the crunch, at any rate.  
All of which is drawn from my insufferable fondness of having my opinions validated. Translation: I like being right, and am prepared to break the back of the universe to prove it. I am a terrible person. Believe me.

Not a fan of Zuri and Kiava as the King and Queen? They've defeated a Shai'tan too you know, and taken control of the Shadowlands.

Very perceptive. Some knowledge of the rebellion has leaked out of the Pridelands. Not enough to ignite a worldwide rebellion, but enough to draw notice.

As for a prequel story… You remember Lion King Origins: Judgement?  
I might _or might not _have a rough outline of Lion King Origins: Matriarch, and Lion King Origins: Emperor. But don't tell anyone. No promises that they'll ever be written.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Revelations**

* * *

Sundar stared at Danyal in shock. Even after everything they had seen, everything they had experienced, this was a new one for her.

"What?"

"Kulana. That was my mother's name! I knew she was an Outlander but… She was friends with Kovu and Vitani!" Danyal said.

"You didn't know?" Sundar asked in surprise.

"No. King Kovu, _Vitani_, they never told me that they were _friends_ with my mother… Why wouldn't they have told me?"

"Painful memories I guess." Sundar suggested, somewhat charitably in Danyal's opinion. Danyal sighed.

"I've already told you that my mother was killed out here, in the wilds. She suffered an injury that rotted, and she died not long afterwards. I grew up in the Pridelands, an orphan. I've not seen her in years. _She was so young. _She was alive." Danyal said, looking back to where he had seen the echo of his mother in wonderment.

"But if she was an Outlander, why didn't you re-join the Pridelands with the other Outlanders? Weren't Damu and Vitani Outlanders?" Sundar asked, having heard the story of the Civil War before. Danyal shrugged.

"The way I've heard it, my mother fled from Zira and her Pride long before the war ended. Vitani doesn't talk to me about her and Damu didn't know her well. I guess she finally got sick of Zira's cruelty. You saw what she was like. Could you imagine anyone wanting to bring up a cub with her as queen? She was a monster. There is a reason they called her Zira Devilqueen."

"She didn't seem so bad when I met her. At the Glade. She died saving Vitani."

"That was after years of torture by Rish'ut. Before then, the only thing that matters to her was her vengeance. She was cruel and hateful, even to her own children, to the cubs entrusted to her care. I can't imagine her treating anyone else's cubs much better." Danyal explained. "It's sad though. To think that Mother came so close to seeing Vitani and Kovu again, but she was killed just before returning to the Pridelands. She wouldn't even have known Nuka had been killed."

"I didn't know Vitani had a second brother."

"No. He was killed in the Outlander War." Danyal said. He could sympathise with the older male. Neglected, abused and treated like dirt so long as it suited the lioness in charge – who had eyes and sympathies only for the future king. Yes. He could sympathise a lot. And it seemed his mother had as well. He shook himself, overcome for a moment. "I am sorry… I just… I haven't seen my mother in… She was _young. _Younger than I am now. It's a little strange to see." He said. Sundar tried to picture her own father Lukaan, as a young white furred cub and found the image impossible to conjure. It must have been peculiar at best for Danyal to see his mother so young. He certainly looked drained. He swallowed, making a decision.

"I… I have to try again. I have to see..." He trailed off.

Without Sundar's assistance this time, he reached inside himself, and clawed at the residual remnants of Marsade's power. Already depleted, and struggled to flare it back into life.

"_Come on…"_ He muttered. It flashed within him.

And once more, shapes began to form in the darkness. Figures, emerged from the bleakness and into his site. Splashes of colour spilling out as the memory began to take form.

* * *

A young lioness reared back on her hind feet, slamming both her paws at once into her foe, who circled around them, shadows coalescing to give way a dark lion.

They were older. Perhaps his own age? Both were thin, lithe, and muscles rippled beneath taught flesh as they moved. Strength and power. They circled and fought with a vicious savagery that made Sundar gasp. One of them pulled away, panting.

She weaved under a second vicious attack and sliced at the male.

"_Not bad, Kovu, not bad. But hardly your best, is it?" _She taunted. The male lion gave a wicked snarl, shaking his mane out his eyes. They flashed emerald.

"_You've never _seen _my best, Kulana." _He said, and charged forward. She met his charge with swipes that clawed at his skin, but the Outlander Prince didn't seem to feel them. He crashed into her with such force that she was sent flying across the ground and skidded to a halt on her back. She barely recovered, rolling out the way just in time to avoid a swipe that could have finished her. Kulana pulled herself to her feet, grunting.

"Come _on_ Kovu!" She said, in a voice too low to be heard by the onlookers. "That was sloppy, you had me there. I know you're better than this! _Try _damn it!" She hissed and effortlessly avoided another onslaught. Clearly becoming agitated, Kovu roared, and struck again. This time she was a moment too slow, and his claw tips grazed the very edge of her face ever so slighty.

"Good Kovu!" Zira's voice could be heard, egging her son on. "_Attack her! You are stronger, so use your strength!" _She commanded him. Kovu didn't twitch, but his eyes narrowed, and he charged ahead, following his mother's orders without question. Kulana dived under his attack, and clawed at his side, prompting Kovu to roar. The dark brown lioness cried out and bit forwards, but Kovu wasn't so easily beaten. He turned, and struck at Kulana with a backhanded swipe that nearly caught her in the face. Only her speed let her avoid it.

Danyal was impressed. She fought well. The young bedraggled cub had grown into something, almost inspiring. She was not a beautiful lioness. She was dirty, covered in red dust, and her fur was unkempt and patched. Her fur was long in some patches, and short in others were clumps had been torn out – or possibly where insects had once tried to make their homes. Her eyes were dark, a dull brown that gave her gaze an empty hollow look. She wasn't ugly by any means. But unrefined, unpolished, without the grooming and regality a lifetime of luxury in the Pridelands might grant one. Seeing it for himself, Danyal could see why an outlander might accuse a Pridelander of being pampered, weak even. She wasn't a flower. She was something rawer, a sharpened stone perhaps. Was that what a lifetime as an Outlander did to someone? She was dangerous, graceful and mighty.

When he saw her, he was briefly overcome with a burning sense of _Pride. _His mother had earned her place in the circle of life. She lived it and she bore it on her for all to see.

And yet, why for all of that, she seemed to be overflowing with confidence. She weaved herself close to Kovu once again, slipping under his defenses as if they were nothing, and forced herself close.

"_My my. Look how _strong_ you are…" _She with all the sincerity of a vegetarian hyena. Grinning as she did so. Kovu scowled at the blatant attempt to distract him, for it was successful. He fumbled his next defense, and took a knock to the chest that sucked the air out of his lungs. She kicked out a foreleg, and Kovu thudded to his knees, growling.

"ENOUGH!" he roared, giving a cry that was loud and filled with rage. The onlooking outlanders (for a small ground had gathered to watch them spar) took several steps back. Zira unflinching gaze gave way to a cruel smile, eyes wide with pleasure.

"Yes… Scar my love…_He lives in YOU." _She whispered.

Kulana flinched back at the sound, and it was a pause long enough for Kovu to turn, giving a scream of rage. Anger flowed through him as his paws lashed out in quick rhythm. Left right, left right. They pummelled at Kulana from multiple directions and she fell back. Then, giving a last shout and cried out in pain.

"STOP!" She called out, her voice laced with fear.

Kovu froze. The darkness in his eyes evaporated like dust in the wind. Then he pulled away.

"What is this?" Zira asked in confusion as Kulana let out a sigh of relief and rose to her feet. "Don't give up now! Press your advantage! You were _winning!_" Zira said in anger, striding over to them, and standing between the two young lions. Looking at them now, Danyal was incorrect in his assessment. They were not as old as he had thought them to be. They were about his age, to the month he would guess. Kovu's mane was present, but it was a rough circle around his neck and throat, not the great thing it would oneday become, and Kulana was breathing heavily from the exertion, clearly in some small pain from the experience.

"I beat her. I won. It over." Kovu said levelly. Zira turned to look at him.

"My _Son…" _She said, and Danyal shuddered at the poison in her voice. "Tell me something. Who is Queen of these lands?" She asked him. Kovu seemed to diminish slightly.

"You are." He said nervously. Zira nodded.

"That's right my prince. And one more thing… Who decides when your training is _over?" _She asked him. Kovu swallowed.

"You do…"

"Oh? Do I really? Well then…" She span and lashed out at Kulana who gave out a scream as white hot pain lashed through her. Zira's hooked claws caught her even as she pulled away, and blood sprayed through the air Kulana gasped for air. Around them, the Outlanders gave a murmur, and Kovu took a step forward, but froze upon seeing his mother's glare. Zira watched Kulana squirm on the ground briefly, then satisfied that her lesson was taught – for pain, she noted, was such a valuable tutor, she rarely used it unless to teach some less or another – she nodded to herself.

"Don't fear the pain that hasn't yet come. It isn't real. Pain that burns through you makes you angry. Makes you_ strong. _Pain is a weapon. Fear of Pain, is a _weakness_. There is no room for _weakness _in this _Pride._" Kulana gasped for air, and didn't make another sound. She glared up at Zira, fury evident in her eyes. Zira grinned in sadistic pleasure as she withdrew her claws with a contemptuous flick. She would ignore the impertinence, the disrespect, if only for the anger that burned. Anger that could, if directed, become a potent weapon against Simba and his Pridelander harem.

She stalked away from her son and his friend without another word or so much as a glance backwards. When she had gone, Kovu moved over to her and pressed a paw onto the wound.

"Ouch! Agh… Kovu, you're _hurting me!_ Stop it!_" _She gasped between breaths. Kovu ignored her, and forced more pressure down on the wound. Kulana gave another gasp of pain, and then her breathing slowed. Kovu didn't look at her. After a few minutes, and removed his paw, and the bleeding had slowed. When he looked at her, his eyes were haunted and guilty.

"Sorry." He said. "You… Need to put pressure on it… to stop it bleeding. Sorry for hurting you." He said quietly. Kulana pulled herself up, breathing properly now. Kovu's action had hurt her, but had slowed the bleeding, and the wound would probably heal quicker now. Kulana swallowed.

"Thank you." She said. Kovu shrank back. "I am sorry mother hurt you." He said. Kulana winced.

"It's okay. She hurts everyone." She said, dismissing the incident as if it were nothing. Kovu sagged slightly. "I didn't mean to hurt you earlier. I just… I was fighting one moment and then…"

"I saw. You fought amazingly! A little slow to begin with but _man _did you pull it back at the end!" Came a second voice. Kovu glanced up and saw Vitani approaching. The lioness was much more alike to her future incarnation that Danyal knew. Like Kulana, she was strong, fast, fit and savagely powerful. It was something to behold. And yet, like her fellow Outlanders, all were surprisingly thin. Less so then the others, but even Kovu was displaying telltale signs of malnutrition. Kovu nodded.

"Thanks 'Tani. Mother didn't seem to think so."

"Are you kidding? She was impressed at first. She wanted to see what you'd do next!"

"What did she expect me to do? Kill Kulana? Or just beat her bloody?"

"That's not funny Kovu."

"I wasn't joking."

"Don't be ridiculous." Vitani scolded him. Kovu shrugged. At least Kulana was fine now.

"So, dearest sister, what's brings you to grace us with your presence?" Kovu asked her. Kulana stood up and bowed her head to the Outland Princess, though the gesture scarcely warranted reaction from Vitani, who merely smiled at her friend.

"It was you or Nuka." Vitani said with a shrug. "Don't take it personally." She said.

"Vitani. Where have you been the past few days? Some of us were concerned about you, but Zira didn't tell us anything."

"Where else? In the Pridelands." Vitani said. Kovu raised an eyebrow.

"Alone? You ought to have taken someone with you in case something happened."

"I can take care of myself, and I hunt better alone. Besides, I'd have ended up taking Nuka with me, and he's about as subtle as hippo. I've made my report to Mother, and she's allowed me the rest of the evening before training starts again." Vitani said.

"So what's the word in the Pridelands?" Kulana asked her. Vitani shrugged.

"Things are quiet again. Zazu's still Majordomo, but for how much longer I couldn't tell you. Simba is keeping a close eye on his precious daughter. He's always got _someone _with her. Usually those meerkat and warthog pals of his.

Kovu laughed.

"What sort of lioness needs protecting by a Warthog? Pridelanders. Weak as well as brainless." He commented. Kulana wasn't laughing. Her brow furrowed.

"What does he think they can do for her? They're useless in a fight. Even for Simba, that's a harebrained move."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But no. Simba's far too clever for that. Remember how the last two times we went, we couldn't find a trace of her?" She asked him. Kovu paused.

"I recall. You thought that maybe Simba was keeping Kiara somewhere secret, during the day? As a way to protect her? We spent _days _going through all the crevices and dens in the Pridelands. Turns out she'd been all over them. But none of them recently." Kovu said. Vitani growled.

"Yeah. Well. That was a wasted effort. See, the warthog stench is so powerful, you can't smell anything else within ten paces of her. So long as he's with her, you'd need line of sight to find her. He masks her scent, makes her impossible to track." Kovu groaned. Why hadn't he seen that? It was obvious! Why else would Simba entrust something as dear to him as his daughter to the caretaking of such a pair of morons? He was a cunning schemer, for all of his faults.

"Will that be a problem?" Kulana asked. Vitani shrugged.

"The Princess will tire of her caretakers soon enough. When that happens, she'll be all alone. Just waiting for you. And when she _does…_" Vitani trailed off. Kovu grinned but said nothing.

"So no biggie. Be patient. The opportunity will present itself." Kulana concluded.

"So what is the problem? Why are you so distracted?" Vitani asked him. Kovu hesitated. Then sighed.

"It's nothing." He said. Vitani's eyes narrowed, wholly unconvinced. He sighed.

"It's just… Mother's sending you into the Pridelads. She's even having Nuka hunt. The training has gotten harder… I just… I think she's getting ready." He said nervously. Vitani's eyes glinted.

"You mean we might finally be making our move? Good! After so _long." _She said. Kovu smiled weakly.  
"Yeah… I just…"

"What's the matter? Don't tell me your going soft." Kovu's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I am more than willing to spill Simba's guts. I am just not… satisfied… I could do it surrounded by his faithless lionesses. They're not there just for his pleasure you know. And if I can barely beat you and Kulana _one at a time_…"

"You're apprehensive going to toe to toe with half a dozen at once?" Kulana guessed. Kovu nodded weakly. Vitani laughed.

"Please. We're easily worth a three, maybe four Pridelanders each." Vitani said. "They're pushovers." Vitani said. Kovu said nothing. She sighed.

"Look, Mother won't give the command until she's sure you're ready." Vitani said. Kovu raised an eyebrow.

"And you're basing that on what, exactly? Remember the time I got kicked in the stomach by an antelope and she ordered Talia to refuse me herbs and medicine, no matter how hard I cri- asked for them?" Kovu pointed out. "What about you're first hunt? She wanted you to go for a rhino, or an _elephant."_ He said. Vitani swallowed, suddenly uncertain. "Your Mother doesn't always have the most… realistic… expectations." Kulana observed carefully. Vitani shot her a dark look.

"Come on Kovu, you aren't a coward are you?" She asked him. Kovu just gave a flat look.

"I am not stupid. I know my limits. I know what fights I can win, most of the time, and I have _no _intention of dying stupidly for someone _else's _impatience." He said hotly. Kulana nodded in agreement.

"That sounds pretty reasonable." She said. Vitani glared at her. "Our mother is many things. Reasonable isn't the first quality to spring to mind." She conceded.

"I just need a little more time. More training. More practice. I just need…" He trailed off. Vitani paused.

"Well, you never know, maybe she isn't planning anything any time soon. You might be kicking up a huge fuss over nothing." Vitani suggested, but even she looked unconvinced. Kulana stood up, looking determined.

"Well, I am sure it won't come to that. If you think the Outlanders are going to let their Prince –"

"I suspect that line of thinking would be best left unfollowed." A voice came. The three young lions jumped at the sound of Nuka's voice. The older lion was a gangly young creature. His fur was clearly fully infested with termites by this point and his mane was scraggly and unkempt, even by Outlander standards. His eyes were red and raw, and he looked irritable and bad tempered. Kulana leapt to her feet.

"Sir."

His mouth twisted into a bitter sneer at the title.

"Kulana. As glad as I am to see my dear pridesister… Get going. I want to talk to our _chosen one, _alone." He said. Kulana nodded, and left without a word. Vitani looked at her brother sourly. Then nodded, deciding that his bluntness wasn't worth a confrontation, and left.

When they had gone, Kovu sighed.

"Hey Nuka." He said. Nuka smiled.

"So. How'd the fighting go? Mom come and watch again?" He asked him. Kovu looked away, and didn't answer. Nula snorted. "Of course she did."

"What does it matter?" Kovu asked cautiously. Nuka picked a claw into his and pulled out a jittering termite. He pulverized the insect between the clawtips on his paw.

"It doesn't. Why would it matter?" he asked. "Where you fighting with Vitani or Kulana?" Nuka asked him. Kovu grunted. "Both at first. Then, later, just Kulana. How did you know?" He asked.

"Who else? Kulana and Vitani are the toughest fighters. Mother wouldn't have you train with anyone else." Nuka commented, scratching himself as he did so. Kovu frowned. That was true.

"Why did you send Kulana and Vitani away?" he asked him. Nuka shrugged.

"Mainly because it annoys Vitani when I do, and that's fun. And Kulana, because she sets me on edge." He said. Kovu laughed.

"Really? Kulana? But she's only ever been nice to you!" He said.

"Exactly." Nuka said darkly. "All that _Sir-ing. _Stamping her foot on the ground, like the lionesses do to you and Vitani and Mother. It's off-putting. None of the other lionesses do that anymore. They used to but…" He trailed off, and shrugged. Kovu smiled.

"I think she's just trying to be nice." He said. Nuka snorted.

"Yeah I know that. Not like anyone would actually respect me, right?"

"Nuka, that's not what I meant." Kovu said, frowning. Nuka smirked.

"I know that, ya termite. Just pulling your tail." He said whilst Kovu bristled.

"Don't call me that." He said and Nuka smirked again.

"So who won?"

"I did." Kovu said, and didn't elaborate. "What have you been doing?" He asked him. Nuka shrugged.

"Here and there. Patrolling the borders. I _am _the only other Male round here you know. And… occasionally I went a little further."

"Specifically, Nuka."

"I went into the Shadowlands for a few days." Kovu halted.

"Is that… safe?" He asked him. Nuka shrugged.

"Safeish. The Black Hyenas are all but extinct – mother saw to that. The spotted Clan has a new Matriarch again – no idea who, but the last one died off recently. Oh, and Banzai's appeared again. Told you he wasn't dead." Nuka said. Kovu snorted.

"And how do you know that? You didn't go that far into their territory did you?" He asked him. Nuka rolled his eyes.

"No. I killed a Zebra and threatened one of vultures who came to feast on it until it agreed to lure a hyena to where I was hiding. Then I attacked the hyena and threatened to rip out the rodent's spine if he didn't tell me everything he knew. _I _stayed on the outskirts the whole time. You think I'd go far into the Shadowlands after what we did to the Black Clan?" Nuka asked him. Kovu stared at him.

"Nuka. You really do have a gift." He said.

"How so?"

"You've managed to channel your innate cowardice into a brutally effective form of skulking. The world of scouting will never be the same again." he said.

"Very funny." His brother said dryly.

"Why the hell were you even out there?" Kovu asked him. Nuka shrugged.

"Mother sent me there." Kovu pulled to a stop.

"Mother? Sent you there? By _yourself. _Is she _trying _to get you killed?"

"Is it too much to believe that knew it was dangerous but that she had enough confidence in me to do the job properly?" Nuka said indignantly.

"Yes." Kovu said flatly. Nuka's expression didn't change.

"…Okay. That sounded better in my head." He conceded. He hesitated. They were closer to Golgorath now. The visions were duller as well. The colours less bright, and almost les tangible. Even the sounds were becoming muted. Danyal remembered that a similar thing had occurred in his visions of Marsade's past. The events that took place in his old pride's Kingdom, were more vibrant and clearer than the ones which took place at Crown Rock. He supposed that it made sense. A lion's roar could be heard from a great way away, but it would be harder to hear from a greater distance.

Eventually, Nuka paused.

"I thought you were done training for today?" He asked Kovu, who stopped and sniffed the air. Although Danyal could not smell the blood, he could tell from Kovu's expression.

"We are…" He said slowly. With a little more caution, and a concerned expression, the two brothers advanced into Spire.

They pushed through the labyrinthine passages with ease, through the dull red dust and termite mounds until they came into the centre of the Spire, to what would one day become the arena where predators and prey would fight for the amusement and pleasure of Rish'ut and his followers.

Nuka swore.

Bleeding lightly from a few cuts, Kulana lay on the dusty ground. Above her, Zira circled. When she looked up and saw her sons entering, she gave a snarl.

"You! Did you put her up to this? Are you that much of a coward?" Kovu and Nuka looked at one another.

"'Lana!" Kovu gave a shout of alarm. Nuka stopped suddenly wary.

"Mother… What are you doing?" He asked quietly. Kulana groaned on the floor.

"Just silencing _dissidents."_ She looked around, where some of the other Outlanders were observing. Some looked shocked, others nervous. One or two looked confused and all were wary of their queen. Zira growled.

"It has come to my attention, that there are _some _among you, who may be losing _faith _in our cause. Or worse, some who doubt our ability to accomplish our aims.

"Mother!" Vitani shouted, entering the den, and taking in the scene for the first time.

"Silence!" Zira roared, and Vitani was quelled. The silence was deafening. "Scar left us with a task! A purpose! To _destroy _this… _Pretender… _Simba! To reclaim his lands! To punish the disloyal, the rebellious and the _weak. _We are exiled now, but our training, our fighting has made us _strong. _We will CRUSH Simba, and his pathetic gang of Pridelanders. I will not hear of any talk of weakness! Of doubt!" She glared around her.

"Mother." Kovu spoke quietly. "We understand. No one doubts. No one has lost faith." He said. "Why don't you let Kulana up?" He told her. Zira relaxed pressure, and Kulana crawled to her feet. Vitani made a silent motion and Kulana moved away to join her, whilst Zira stared at her Son.

"Why are you punishing Kulana?" Nuka asked Zira. Zira snarled.

"I am the Queen! Do I not have the right?" She asked her son. Kovu nodded.

"The right yes, but _reason _as well, I trust?" He asked carefully. Zira remained silent.

"I told you. I am teaching a lesson. A lesson of what happens to those who preach dissidence. Who spread doubt and fear? We cannot be weak. We cannot be divided! And SHE! She dared to come in here to _me, _and tells me that she fears you _weak. _That she believes you will _fail. _There will be _no _failure, Kovu! There will be no weakness!" She shouted. Kovu glanced at Kulana's whose eyes were wide. Then he sighed, understanding dawning. Kulana had, foolishly, attempted to persuade Zira to delay her plans. Whatever they were. To give Kovu time. To help him finish his training. And his mother had, in her paranoia and her vengeful nature, taken the advice as condemnation of her plans. And lashed out in violence. Kovu nodded.

"No mother. I will not fail you. When my training is _complete," _He said carefully. "I know what must be done. I will shall crush Simba. And his Queen, and his daughter, and any of the Pridelanders who stand in our way, like bugs beneath my paws! I will leave them bleeding and broken in the dirt!" Kovu said. Zira breathed out, her eyes gleaming at his words. Kovu looked to his friend. "But Mother, Kulana is bar Vitani, our strongest lioness. She is important to our plans. I am sure she didn't mean to imply faithlessness in her words. Or dissent. Merely reporting that my training is proceeding as we planned. I am confident that she merely… chose her words poorly. And that lessons have been learnt." Kovu said. Zira glared at Kulana, who, too her credit, met Zira's gaze for a brief moment and, far from flinching away, bowed her head slowly.

"Prince Kovu is right, Queen Zira." She said quietly. Zira glared at her for a moment, then, her expression changed. She nodded.

"Well then. That is sorted." She said. "Is there anything _else?" _Zira asked, as Nuka breathed a sigh of relief, and moved to join Vitani and Kulana.

"Yes." Said one of the Outlander lionesses. She made a motion with her head, and there was some movement behind her. Behind her, another pair of Outlanders walked through the caverns. Kovu's eyes widened. Standing between them, was a young lion. A lion. And not an Outlander. Zira expression was unreadable. He was young. Not much older than Kovu. Perhaps Nuka's age? It was hard to say, for he lacked Nuka's scrawny build. He was thin, certainly. Every ounce of his flesh was raw muscle. There was no room on him for excess fat characteristic of a Pridebound Lion. He was a rouge. A rusty brown fur coated his body, and his face was wreathed in an elegant dark brown mane. Lines of lighter fur could been seen throughout, giving him an unusual appearance. His eyes were red, but bright. The odd scar and bruise was present on his body, but there were no notable warmarks or wounds to show off. He was either inexperienced, or lucky, and from his youth, the former seemed more likely. He walked with his claws unsheathed. They looked razor sharp. Zira looked at him with a calculating eye as he entered.

He entered the cavern somewhat cautiously, for there were several lionesses around, looking curious. Before he could speak though, Zira made a sound.

"Hmmh. And who are you, and what are you doing in the Outlands?" She asked him. The lion looked relaxed.

"Just passing through. Going from place to place. I didn't expect to be accosted by such lovely lionesses as yourselves, but life is full of surprises." He said.

Nuka looked at Kovu in surprise.

"You're a rouge." Zira surmised, giving a curl of her lip." The lion nodded.

"I guess so. I left my Pride several months ago. Nice place, but I was one of five brothers. It was somewhat _stifling._" He said. Zira moved over to where he stood, and began to pace, as she often did when in thought.

"Really? A _rouge. _You're not one of Simba's? No of course you aren't…" She said, mostly to herself. The rouge looked confused.

"Simba? I don't know who that is. My name is Najisi. Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but could someone explain to me why I was ambushed and all but attacked by a pair of lionesses upon coming through these lands? Not that I object to the company of ladies, but it was somewhat startling."

"We didn't ambush you. We can't help it if you weren't observant enough to detect our approach." One of the lionesses said. Najisi gave her a look, and Kovu cleared his throat.

"You can't have failed to have noticed our borders. I mark the northern bank myself." He said. The eastern border was the mountainous ridge of the Shadowlands. And no one marked the southern border with the Pridelands. That… would have been unwise. Simba regally marked that one himself. He didn't say it aloud, but were Najisi to have entered by the eastern or northern borders, he would have noticed either Kovu's or Nuka's markings. He wouldn't have lasted five minutes in the Shadowlands and as for Simba… well… He wasn't very reasonable when it came to threats. If he was willing to terrorize and threaten an Outlander cub who crossed into his territory, Kovu thought it unlikely that this Rouge would have lasted long. Kovu's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you here?" He said.

Najisi paused, and seemed to be sizing up Kovu.

"I go where I chose to…" He said. Kovu laughed.

"A dangerous habit. You've not been a rouge for long. Or much longer if you are so reckless in your travels." Kovu said. Najisi frowned.

"Rouges aren't welcomed here." Nuka said firmly. Najisi's tail swished.

"Oh? A shame. And I have so much to offer a Pride." He said. Zira glowered.

"I doubt that very much. What is it you want, Najisi? Why enter another's land?" She said.

"I am a rouge. I travel. It's what we do. Until…" He paused. "Well. Until I am ready to start a Pride of my own." He said. Zira raised an eyebrow.

"Lofty goals, for one so young."  
"I am not so young." He said, firmly.

"You're just scrawny then? The runt of the litter?" Zira guessed. Nuka smirked. Najisi ignored him.

"So, might I enquire as to your name, lioness? You certainly seem to hold sway in these parts."

"You could say that. I am Zira." She said.

"Zira. A pleasure to meet you, and your pride, Zira." Najisi said, and he bowed his head low. A few of the Outlanders looked at one another. There were few in the Outlands or the Pridelands who treated Zira with anything but fear. Zira stared at the youth.

"Why are you here?" She asked. Najisi cocked his head.

"I told you. I am simply travelling. Seeing new places. New lands. Meeting new people. Such as yourself."

"For what purpose?"

"What other purpose does a young male seek out new lands and meet their lionesses? I am a rouge. With all that that entails." He said. Zira snorted.

"Ah. I get the picture. You're travelling from land to land, hoping to either find a lioness who'll have you, or a King old enough for you defeat? Is that your plan? Rouges. Always looking for a shortcut through life. Always waiting for luck or providence to _hand _them their lives. I understand. What I _don't_ understand, is what brings you _here._" Zira said.

"Can't you?" Najisi asked her, giving a playful smile.

There was deathly silence in Golgorath.

"You're not serious." Vitani was the one who spoke. Najisi looked at her.

"I am not easily frightened." He looked to Kovu and Nuka.

"You're the males. Which of you two reign here? Or do you reign together?" He asked. Nuka was the older of the two, but Kovu was clearly the strongest of the pair. Kovu groaned. _Of course _the young Lion had detected the border. And he'd ignored it. Likely he'd also watched on the border and seen either himself or Nuka marking it. And he thought that the two younger lions would be easy prey. Nuka let out a snort.

"I'll handle this…" He said stepping forward, and flexing his muscle.

"No." Zira said softly. Nuka paused. Najisi turned in surprise. She stepped forward.

"You are _speaking _to this land's _Queen._ There is no King. Not _yet." _Zira said. Her bored tone fading. Najisi turned in surprise.

"You? You're the leader of this Pride?" He asked her. Zira stood up, and twisted her neck. It cracked flexed the muscles within.

"Whilst I trust my Sons to guard their Kingdom, I am the one who reigns here, _rouge."_

"They are your sons? Both of them?" He asked looking at them both critically. Kovu raised an eyebrow at the calculating look he received.

"I am their Mother. Does something about that bother you, Rouge?" Zira asked.

Kovu sighed, deciding he had better step in.

"If you are a 'nomad'" He said, using the less presumptuous term, "you won't find a lioness here willing to be your mate, Najisi. The Outlanders have no time or patience to raise cubs, nor the inclination leave this Pride to join yours. You're better off leaving these lands, and going somewhere else. Somewhere where they'd welcome your talents and your bloodline. This… is not that place." He said. Zira laughed again.

"Is this what you thought would happen? That you'd just stroll into a Pride? Throw your weight around? Attract a nice young female and play happy families? Or perhaps you're bolder than you look. Perhaps you intend to challenge a King? Is that your aim? To defeat a King in _Mashindano_?" She asked him. No one had tried such a thing in the Pridelands since Taka had challenged his father with disastrous results, and though Najisi couldn't have known that, he still hesitated, sensing the others reaction.

"I am no weakling. I've beaten other Rouges, as well as Leopards. Cheetahs. I am no stranger to fighting." He said firmly.

"You're not a King either." Zira said. Najisi ground his teeth.

"Not yet. But there is more than one way to win a Kingdom." He said. Zira laughed once more.

"Fine then." She said. "Let's see you prove it. You say you're a challenger. I am Ruler here. I am happy to accept your challenge. That's what you're here for, isn't it? Just admit it, and drop your friendly façade." She said.

"WHAT!" Nuka burst. Zira chuckled.

"I am the reigning Monarch of these lands. That gives me the right to accept, or refuse any challenge as I see fit. You want to defeat a King? Claim his lands? You want the quick and easy route to power? I know your type. You crave power. Status. _Lionesses._ But you don't have the skill, the strength, or the mind to do so. You will die in the wilds, alone and apart. Don't you want to _know, _if you truly are what you think of yourself?" She asked him. Najisi hesitated.

"You are no King. You're the Queen. Where's your mate?" He asked hesitantly.

"Are you so dense? I hope you don't fight as well as you think? Take a look around, Najisi. This is _my _Kingdom. Do you think me incapable of ruling it alone? Because I assure you, my command here is _absolute._ Do you think I need some mate, some king to rule by my side?" She suggested. Najisi snorted.

"Do you think I am stupid enough to answer that question?" He asked. Zira gave a smug smile.

"Ah, then you _are_ learning. Perhaps there is hope for you yet. So how about it? Do you accept my little wager? If you win, you stand to gain _everything. _Lands. A Throne. The Tower of Golgorath. I'll leave this place. I'll even take my Sons with me – neither will seek retribution. You would reign as King Najisi, _King of the Outlands. _You'd have everything your heart desires. And not in several years. Right here. _Now_. In this moment. Isn't that what you want?" She asked. Najisi paused. He was tempted, visibly so. Vitani shook her head. _Don't be a fool._

"And if you win? What do you stand to gain?"

"Oh… I am sure I can think of something. I could find _some_ use for someone such as you. But in any case, I want _nothing _more than a chance to… _educate… _the youth of today. To impart some wisdom." Zira said, dangerously. Nuka almost jumped about. This was going to be _good. _He could feel it. Vitani on the otherpaw gave a knowing smirk. Najisi licked his lips, assessing his potential opponent.

"Fine." He said. Kovu looked around. This was a _bad _idea.

"_Mother." _He warned her, looking anxious. Zira chuckled.

"Oh, have no fear, Kovu, I'll be careful." He said. Kovu shook his head, as Nuka grinned.

"That wasn't what I…" He sighed, and isn't bother. Nuka started chuckling softly.

"This isn't funny, Nuka." Kovu reminded him. Nuka gave a wicked grin.

"Oh it is. It _really _is_._ This is the first time he's actually fought a challenge, I'd stake my next meal on it. Rouges, nomads, scavengers, rivals. None of that will have prepared him for this." He said firmly.

The two lions separated from each other, and stood some distance apart.

Zira gave her son a look.

"Kovu… If you would be so kind?" He asked him.

Kovu silently counted to three. Then gave a roar.

On his signal, the two lions Zira, and the rouge collided with one another, their forms a blaze of tooth and claw, swiping at each other and tearing at one another.

Najisi was quick, and immediately feinted in one direction, before slicing at Zira's other side. The Outlander Queen took the brunt of the blow, before letting out a backhanded swipe that caught Najisi in the jaw. The youth stumbled back, and Zira pressed forwards, making two direct slashes, aiming at his face. The youth ducked under the scything blades of her claws, and Zira changed tact, dropping her other paw down in a vertical swipe that knocked Najisi to the ground. She bit down savagely at the top of his neck, and Najisi rolled away to avoid the attack, coming to his feet again in one motion, then pouncing, moving from defensive, evasion and offensive with fluidity that took Kovu by surprise. Zira lashed out at the oncoming lion, and who crashed into her with a snarl, and let lose a flurry of strikes.

Zira span, and danced away.

Danyal let out a breath. This was Zira Devilqueen in action. She moved like a fleck of dust on the wind, weaving in and out, contorting her body to dodge seemingly unstoppable blows, and letting lose savage strikes in response when her foe over extended himself.

"You're good…" Najisi said, between dodges and blocks. Zira pulled away, and leapt onto an outcrop of termite mound just behind her. Najisi watched cautiously, as she paced, unwilling to follow. Zira cocked her head.

"You're young. Inexperienced. I left myself open in half a dozen places, but you didn't take them." She told him. Najisi snarled.

"It's not over yet." He said. Zira grinned.

"Oh it is. It was over before it begun. You are just a boy, playing at being a lion. We're finished here." And she leapt forwards with a snarl, Najisi tried to back up, but Zira leapt with so much height and so much power that she easily cleared his clumsy attempts to block, and landed on top of him. She hooked her claws into his body as she landed and rolled, throwing the lion clear of her, and he crashed into a wall with a dull thud. To his credit, Najisi rose, though still stunned, and possessed the skill to block the tempest of Zira's swipes that rained down now. He ducked and weaved and the rock wall behind him screeched and flashed as line upon line was etched into the face of the rock. Najisi looked frightened now, and all were aware that Zira had merely been toying with him. Amusing herself. Now, her gracefulness was replaced with brutal savagery. He tried to launch a last desperate assault, hoping to overwhelm Zira's defences before she crushed his own. Zira cackled, and blocked every cut and slash he made, before butting Najisi in the face. As the lion grunted, flinching in pain, Zira bit forwards again, gripping the youth by the neck. Then she arched her back, and flipped him bodily to the side. The strength that rippled through her muscles too Najisi by surprise and he gave a cry as his feet left the ground and Zira lifted his not inconsiderable weight free, only for him to land with a loud crack a moment later. Then, as he lay stunned, she tore into him, knocking him onto his back, leaving his belly unprotected. He gave a cry as a five clawed paw slashed deep into it and the blood began to spray in earnest. He shouted and tried to pull away, but Zira gripped into his fleeing form and brought him down to the ground like a fleeing gazelle, and pounded his form once more.

"Enough! You win!" He gasped in agonised pain, conceding defeat, but Zira wasn't so easily quelled.

"You are pathetic!" She slashed at him. "You want life to be handed to you like your mother's milk!" A clawed paw caught him in the jaw, sending him jerking to one side. "You need to _take _what you want in life! Work for it! Pain, _hatred, _loss, fear, they are obstacles to be _conquered! Not fled from and avoided through fear and submission! _You are worthless! Incapable of enduring the slightest pain_. _How will you get what you _want _unless you can pay the price for it? _How can you live in a world such as this where there is pain __**everywhere**__?"_

She pulled away, staring down at him in disgust.

"Now, tell me, Najisi the Rouge. You were prideful earlier of your… accomplishments." She sniggered "Are you too proud to beg?" She asked. Then, she slammed her claws into his. Kovu gasped in shock as her claws stabbed into the young rouge once more, who cried out in pain. He glared up at her with hateful eyes. Zira smiled in glee. Then stabbed down once more, causing the lion to scream in pain.

"AAAH! Stop!" Zira's eyes glinted.

"Beg… Beg for mercy. And maybe I'll stop after teaching you a lesson." She whispered.

"Stop… Please… Stop…I… have mercy…" He pleaded. Zira stood up and sat back, as the Rouge lay shaking on the ground. The onlooking Outlanders said nothing, their faces expressionless. The rouge shrank back, looking around in humiliation. She had dominated the fight.

"Even the _weakest _of my Outlanders would never be so shamed. What kind of pathetic lion are you?" She asked him, as he moaned in pain, clutching at his wounds. "What kind of _lioness _would even have you? Certainly not one with an ounce of pride." She leaned in close. "You _repel _me. Do you think that I, or any of mine, or any lioness on the Savannah would _degrade _themselves, to being _yours?!_ Don't you _dare _come here to these lands again, intending to pollute them with your filthy bloodline, you despicable piece of river slime." She snarled. And with a final contemptuous flick of her wrist, she slashed at his terror filled face. He howled in pain as blood flecked the walls. Four lines of scarlet shining for all to see on his face. They were deep wounds. If they didn't fester, they would scar him horribly. Zira gave a cruel laugh at her handiwork.

"Now every lioness who so much as looks at you will know what a miserable failure you are. A king? I'd sooner have my lionesses lie with _Simba _then a pathetic pretender like you. You're a pathetic, worthless, excuse for a lion who'd pollute the bloodlines of any cubs, and more than likely to disease the lioness that lay with you!"

"Ugh… I…"

Zira laughed pitilessly and wordlessly she jerked her head in the direction of a pair of lionesses.

"Drag him to the borders. If you see him trying to enter the Outlands again, kill him on sight." She said. Najisi gave a moan, and Zira towered over him,

"_Pathetic." _Zira said in disgust. Najisi's eyes snapped open, and with a howl, he leapt to his feet and clawed at Zira's face. She pulled back with lighting reflexes and his claws sliced into Zira's throat. They grazed her flesh, barely scratching her fur, but they did draw blood, and Zira pulled away in shock. Letting out a snarl, Najisi span, and sank his teeth into the lioness next to him.

Vitani cursed. Attacking someone _else _not involved in the challenge? That wsa bad form. But Najisi hurled the lioness he gripped in his teeth to one side, jerking her into the second lioness that was coming up onto him, then turned and ran from the cavern.

"He should have known better…" She observed, displaying no emotion but for a slight twinge of pity, watching him flee. Kovu was expressionless.

"I would rather we reserve such things for Simba, and his lionesses. That seemed a tad… unnecessary." He commented. Zira flexed her muscles.

"Oh I am sure I'll think of something equally as satisfying now. Besides, nothing I do it pointless. If he runs, then all of the Pridelands will hear, and be reminded of the terror we are waiting to unleash up them. And if he dies? Africa is probably better off. Certainly future generations would thank us for the service. Leave him. He's worthless anyhow. Let him run. Let him rot." Zira commanded, gripping a paw to her neck. Satisfied that the wound wasn't in the least bit serious, she shrugged off the pain as an irritation. The other lionesses gave no chase. What would be the point?

"I could have beaten him." Nuka noted, and Kovu shrugged.

"I agree but I don't think mother wanted to _beat _him." He pointed out. Cricking her neck, Zira turned around, and looked at Kulana. Then she shook her head. Her penchant for violence exhausted.

"Kulana... Half rations for two weeks. And report to the lead huntress every day, during that time." She said. Kulana said nothing, and Kovu bit his lip. He knew Kulana was exhausted – she'd been his sparring partner for at least that length of time, and had just finished a term as leader of the huntresses. By rights, she ought to have a few days to recover. But it seemed that Zira was withdrawing that privilege for now. But in any case, Zira seemed to have vented her anger on the young rouge, and appeared content to punish Kulana for her impertinence with less violent action than she might otherwise have been inclined to. Satisfied with herself, Zira gave a nod of her head, flexed her claws, and left the cavern, down the twisting tunnels of Golgorath.

* * *

When she had gone, Kulana gave a sigh of relief.

"Yikes. Do you think he'll be okay?" She asked. Kovu rolled his eyes.

"Who gives a flying fig about him? Are _you _alright! What on earth did you say to Mother that made her snap like that? You didn't ask for more food, did you? Because that doesn't-" Kovu asked her anxiously. The young lioness sighed, and pressed a paw to one of her injuries.

"What? No. Nothing. I am fine. Just a little shaken." She said.

"Speaking of people who ought to have known better…" Vitani said, checking her over. Kulana sighed.

"I know. Sorry. I just wanted to help. I was worried. About you guys. If Zira thinks that she can win the Pridelands _now_… If she does wait for us to be ready, she could-" She looked worried. Kovu swallowed. Zira did seem overconfident. He wasn't anywhere near ready to fight Simba, he knew that. But to tell _Zira _that would be _asking _for it.

"Enough." Nuka said firmly. "I haven't reported to her yet on the situation in the Shadowlands."

"What? Who cares about the hyena territory?" Vitani asked.

"No one. Yet. But she will. Mother didn't even seem to notice I'd been missing. In any case, she'd be foolish to push forward in her plans as things stand. The Hyena clans are undergoing a period of brutal civil war."

"They're always undergoing a brutal period of civil war. Even when Scar was in power, _one _of the clans was trying to kill the others. That's the way things are…" Vitani muttered. Nuka ignored her. "I will tell that we should … delay… until there is a clear victor."

"What for? Who gives a wildebeest's –"

"Mother _will _care, because if one of them begins to reclaim power on Simba's _borders_, then it will divert his patrols. Making infiltration into the Pridelands all the easier. By sheer and total coincidence, I think she'll delay her plans by long enough you're training to finish." Nuka said. Kovu looked up at Nuka. That was an optimistic way of looking at the periodic civil strife in the Shadowlands. But If Nuka gave that report. He nodded gratefully, and Kulana gave a sigh of relief, and nodded to him in thanks. Kovu sighed.

"But Kulana I don't see why… You must have guessed that Zira would react… violently… to such talk. It's one step away from sedition!" Vitani protested. Kulana frowned, but nodded.

"You're just lucky she didn't think you were openly criticizing _her _rule. She nearly ripped you pieces thinking you were criticizing mine…" Kovu told her. Kulana winced.

"I know but… I couldn't do _nothing_. I told you, us Outlanders stick together. You told me yourself you didn't think that you could defeat Simba as you were, and if you're going to be the one who saves us, you need to be free to judge for yourself. Not as Zira's puppet. But as the Outlander Prince. I just wanted her to see if…" She shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I thought." She said. She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Nuka asked her. "You need to rest." Kulana shook her head.

"I need to hunt. Those were Zira's orders." She said. She winced. "I might be a while."

The vision dissipated in an instance.

* * *

Danyal collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

"I… Mother…" He said quietly. He swallowed. Sundar laid a paw on his.

"Zira… really was cruel lioness." She said. "What she did to that lion… What she did to your mother… That was brutal. Kulana was very brave to stand up to Zira. I wish I could have known her" She said. Danyal sighed.

"Me too…" He said softly. Sundar reached out a paw, and placed it over his. Danyal accepted it gratefully, and nuzzled her.

"She always said that family needed to stick together to survive." Danyal said sadly. "I knew she was an Outlander. I knew Zira was a monster. But I never dreamed… I never _realized." _He stamped foot on the ground. Of _course _she would have suffered under Zira's rule. All the Outlanders had. Why would his mother have been the sole exception? He rlife before fleeing must have been brutal. He growled, and tried to reconjure the same affect. Sensing his power through her touch of him, Sundar shook her head.

"Danyal, you need to stop now, you look terrible." She said. And Danyal saw that it was true. Old wounds recently healed looked reopened. He was pale and gaunt. But more than that, the young lion looked exhausted. "You should stop now."

"I don't know how long this will last… If I stop now I might never be able to do this again." Danyal said, swallowing.

"Danyal. Please. I know what Shamanism does to your body when you aren't used to it. Marsade's magic is ripping you apart from inside out." Sundar warned him. He shook his head.

"No. I have to see this, Sundar. If it were Lukaan there, would you turn back?" he asked her. Sundar sighed and shook her head.

Swallowing. Danyal reached inside himself once more, and summoned the fragment of Marsade's power left inside him. It pulsed, and Danyal lurched, his mind barely keeping a grip on the power he held. Then, flinging it around him again, the red tendrils of Marsade's power materialized around him once more, and the echoes of the past surged into existence again.

"Vitani… You don't need to come with me." Kulana said. The two lionesses were walking side by side, and going by the quality of the images Danyal saw, they were some distance away from Golgorath. Indeed, going by the vegetation nearby, it looked as though they were on the border of the Pridelands.

"Of course I do. You can't possibly risk going into the Pridelands _alone. _You know what Simba will do to you if he finds you there."

"Hunting in the Pridelands is the only way I'll hunt enough meat to satisfy Queen Zira in such a short amount of time." Kulana pointed out.

"And you can bet she knows that." Vitani told her darkly. "So that's why I am helping you. Besides," She said, "The only reason you got in trouble in the first place was because my weakling of a brother started getting jittery about his mission." Vitani said.

"What does it matter?" Kulana asked. Vitani leapt over a pile of rocks and didn't answer. She pulled to a halt. When Kulana joined her, Danyal saw why. Not far ahead of them, the lush green plains of the Pridelands were visible. Vitani's face twisted slightly as she saw it. Kulana eyes widened. For a moment, they said nothing.

"Careful." Vitani warned. "This is River Lord territory. _Don't _enter the water." She said moved along the banks, looking for some way to cross. After a few more moments, Vitani saw a likely collection of boulders half submerged in the water. She leapt from where she stood to one of them, and then to the other. Pausing, she cleared the rest of the distance and landed into a crouch. She turned to see Kulana hesitate. She was strong, but Vitani was the more powerful jumper. Instead of making the crossing by the rocks, she moved slightly further along the banks of the river, and found a place where a log had fallen across the river. This she moved across, perfectly balanced without so much as faltering. She made her way to join Vitani.

"Right." Vitani said, ignoring Kulana's look.

"Once you make a kill, you won't have long. Simba uses two spy networks. The meerkat colony and gophers run the underground. If they make it one of the tunnels, they'll be back at pride Rock before you know it and Simba will be on to us faster than stink to a warthog. _But _their eyesight is poorer. They're messengers – not scouts. As the hornbill flies, you should have a few hours before we start to move out. But no matter what, _don't _stick around." She warned him. She looked around. At the Pridelands. Vitani closed her eyes briefly, and let her paws move over the grass, feeling its blades between her toes. She breathed in. No dust, no arid taste to the air. Just pure and clean. A gentle breeze whispered through the blades of savannah. Vitani shook her head to clear it.

"Right. Let's go. We'll split up – but stay close enough together to come to each other's aid?" Vitani suggested. Kulana paused.

"You don't want to hunt together?"

"I hunt better alone… No offence." Vitani reminded her. Kulana shrugged. She could hunt either way.

"Tell you what. First to get a kill gets the choice cuts from the other's kill?" Kulana suggested. Vitani laughed.

"Oh sure. If you think you can handle it" she said, laughing as she ran away in the opposite direction.

* * *

They separated going in different directions. Kulana moved into the savannah as quickly as she could. She was less exposed in the long grass, and it kept her scent out of the wind. A dozen other senses assailed her as she moved. It was quite something. Nothing like the Outlands. It was almost worth the risk to poach in the Pridelands. She moved through the grasslands, and began to sort through the scents, trying to isolate the closest. Impala. She would have liked a tender flank of Zebra but what was she saying, this was no time for preferences. She followed the trail for a while, keeping low to the ground and itching slightly whenever she felt a bird pass over her. The Pridelands were _full _of the things. At first she had flinched at every one of them, assuming them to be a potential spy for Simba. But it quickly became apparent that there were dozens of dozens _species _of birds in the Pridelands. They flittered about wherever she moved, some filling the air with song, others circling high above them, birds of prey as agile and as fast as any feline predator. So many. So many sounds and colours.

She found her way through the Savanah, and moved through the long grass, following the scent. There. In a brief clearing ahead of her, she could make out the shapes Impala. So many! So many gathered in one place! It made her stomach pang just to see them. Remembering her training, she looked around, trying to find a likely target. One that looked old, or sick or injured. No. Stuff that. She zoned in a single target, a lean looking female. Lacking the two twisting horns the males possessed, she was defenceless. Without any further thought process, she flung herself from where she lay in hiding, and charged headlong at the Impala. Reflexes, born out of generations of flight, leaped into motion. The population panicked and ran. A twisting, seething mass of flesh and horn whirled, and Kulana lashed out with claws and tooth at her target. They hooked into her prey and the beast was brought down to the ground. Kulana struggled as the creature bucked and lurched trying to dislodge her. Fear, panic, terror leached from the creature, and Kulana inhaled the mix of blood and fear. It energised her, sent her hunt-sense spiralling into chaos. Her eyes widened, her pupils narrowing to slits. Then, adjusting her grip, she thrust herself forward and bit at the creature's neck. She gripped it tight, bringing it low, crushing life from it. She could have lay there a while, waiting for the beast to stop struggling as life was crushed from its lungs, pathetically giving way to death. But Kulana was an Outlander. And an expert hunter.

She pulled herself up within a moment of touching the ground, and her claws sliced out. They cut deep, almost severing the head from the creature, letting out a single snarl of effort. The doe gave one last bleat of fear, before death claimed it. Quickly, cleanly, and far less painfully than it would have endured if it had been left to struggle out its last breaths. Kulana stood up, panting, and looked over her kill. Around her, blood lay scattered, and the impala heard was long gone. She risked a look at the sky. Birds weren't circling yet, but it only a matter of time. It was a decently sized kill. She'd need Vitani's help. If she signalled Vitani, and Vitani came to her quickly, they could drag the kill back to the Outlands, before any Pridelanders came snooping. She prepared to roar, when a snap of a twig caught her attention. She felt a stab of fear. She had been so preoccupied with airborne spies, she hadn't considered that there might be hunters out in the Pridelands. She whirled around and crouched, before starting.

"Nice kill. You're a good hunter." He said. Kulana gave a gasp in surprise as she beheld a familiar sight.

"Najisi!" She exclaimed. The young lion stood before her. His form was scarred and bloody, but some time must have passed, because his injuries were not bleeding openly. Even his face was marked by four diagonal lines, searing through his cheek, nose and mouth. It was a grim sight. His other injuries weren't as bad though. Clearly he was stronger than they had given him credit for. He gave a snarl.

"And what…" He asked "Is a young lioness like yourself doing out here? These aren't your lands. I smelt the markers. They're nothing like your _princes'._" He told her.

"I… Never you mind what it is I am doing here. What's it you?" She asked him. Time was not her side. She needed to move. Najisi gave her look.

"Did your queen exile you perhaps? She certainly seemed be tearing you a new one when I last saw you. Is that how she treats all of her Pride?"

"No I have _not _been exiled." Kulana told him. Najisi shrugged.

"A pity. You'd have been better off out from under the thumb of that… Monster…" He told her. Kulana paused.

"Perhaps. But I am not abandoning my home, or my friends."

"Your _home?_ That wasteland? Or perhaps, you mean _these _lands. The Pridelands." He looked around. "Aren't they nice? I like it here. I think I'll stay a while." He said. Kulana rolled her eyes.

"You think Simba will let you stay _here_? You don't know the tyrant." She retorted. Najisi simply laughed.

"Oh really? That's unfortunate. He seemed pretty reasonable, when I told him what happened. What Zira _did. _What you miserable Outlanders did to me."

"What?"

"Gave me leave to stay here. I was thinking of sticking around permamently."

"What happened to your great ambitions? Or do you intend to challenge _Simba?" _Kulana asked incredulously. Najisi laughed.

"There is more than one way to gain a Kingdom, Kulana. He happens to have a _daughter_. I don't know if you know. In the meantime, I can stay _nice _and comfortable." He said. Kulana hissed.

"Zira was right about you. Instead of building your own strength and bettering yourself by your own power, you want to just be given your life." She paused. "Why would Simba even let you stay here? What have you told him?" Kulana asked.

"Oh. Only how I was attacked upon coming across the Pridelands. How I was dragged before Zira, surrounded by half a dozen of you Outlanders, and then tortured for her sadistic pleasure before being abandoned on the borders. Zira left quite an impression. Simba didn't seem surprised. In fact, I think he hates Zira as much as I do. I mean, they all hate her. But Simba? He really _really _hates her. We have so much in common already." He glowered. "Oh, and he told me all about your sorry little history. How you supported an insane King. How you were banished for that treason. Perhaps, if I hadn't had my face clawed off I might have been a _little _sympathetic, but as it stands… Simba should have killed Zira, and ended her miserable bloodline completely." He said bitterly.

"And did you happen to mention that you chose to challenge Zira? Or did you leave that part out? I guess the persecuted traveller story sounded better when you were begging for his aid." Kulana asked him. Najisi roared.

"I do _not _beg." He hissed. Kulana backed away. _Come on Vitani. Where are you?_ She wondered. Better play for time.

"Strange. I heard _someone _begging earlier. I could have sworn it was you." She said. Najisi eyed her coldly.

"What are you doing out here? Hunting? Stealing. I am guessing Simba doesn't know." He gave a cruel grin. "Perhaps I ought to tell him. I wonder what the penalty is, for an exiled to return to the Pridelands?" He asked her circling. Kulana backed away.

"Don't become involved in this, Najisi. This isn't your war."

"War! You call this a war! You Outlanders, scraping by in a desolate wasteland, poaching kills like _hyenas. _This isn't a war. You're just a violent, bloodthirsty gang of savages." He told her. Kulana snarled.

"Get out of the way." She told him. Najisi pushed himself up close.

"Or what? You're a long way from home, _Outlander. _You aren't welcome in these lands. And if Zira had a right to torture me in her lands. Who's to say I can't do what I like _here_?" Najisi asked. Then without further warning he swung a paw into a savage backhand. The blow caught Kulana by surprise, it sent her head reeling, and she pulled away, grunting. Najisi flexed his muscles, and struck at her again.

"What's the matter? Does it feel different when _you _arethe onebeing hurt?" He swung another clawed paw, which Kulana ducked under and giving a snarl, struck out in response. Najisi rolled with the swing, and scythed at her flank with his own claws.

"What are you doing?!" Kulana gasped in pain as she stumbled away. Najisi snarled launched himself forward.

"Sending Zira a message." He struck at her. Kulana weaved and ducked under the, then lashed out, trying to get away. Simba wasn't a priority now. This rouge was attacking her. His pride stung, his anger enflamed, he lashed out her with the same ferocity he had shown to Zira. But now, it was tainted by a cruel and odious hatred. His eyes were wide and blazing and the rouge stuck out again. His claws scythed into Kulana's flank and made her cry out in pain. She retaliated but the rouge merely grunted, unhindered.

_Focus._

She reminded herself. She was an _Outlander. _She knew how to fight. Zira had taught her well, and all the Outlanders knew how to fight. She roared in rage, her anger becoming her strength. Anger became seething hot within her.

"_Back off! _You are _nothing! I am a Warrior of the Outlands!_" She howled and struck with fervor. Leaping over the rouge and twisting midair, to land on his undefended flank. He cursed as she bit into his side, grabbling on his hide as if he were a bucking antelope, and biting down savagely. An intake of breath rewarded her action, and as he shuddered with the painful swipe, but the rouge turned and gripped at Kulana. Moving, he gripped at Kulana, and pulled at her, away from his injuries. She cried out as he bit at her, drawing blood in a few places, and she was forced to release him. She pulled away in pain, and stared up at the rouge.

"Is this how you fight? You couldn't beat Zira, so you waited until you could find someone you _could _beat? For what?" Kulana baited him. Najisi growled.

"I'll show Zira how _pathetic _her precious _Outlanders_ really are!" He snarled at her, and rushed forwards again. Kulana staggered backwards and gasped in pain as he rushed into her, bludgeoning her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. He struck at her once more, the blow catching her in the jaw. She spat blood out of her mouth. Najisi swerved and pummeled her again on one side, knocking her to ground.

"You filthy little –" His attempts to talk were interrupted by Kulana rising to her feet, and clawing at his throat. Najisi snarled, and swung both paws apart, knocking Kulana's front paws apart, and butting her through the opening. The slashing attack knocked her backwards onto her hind legs, and Najisi bit at her exposed flank, forcing her to stumble back on her hind legs. Then, Najisi's paws arced out, and slammed into Kulana's rear leg. She gave a scream of pain, and a shout of agony, as with a sickening _*CRACK* _her leg gave way. Fire leapt through her, as she felt the bone break and she tumbled to the ground. She felt it and felt another spike of fear. Her leg was broken. It dragged uselessly behind her, sending spasms of pain ricocheting along her limbs as she moved it. She shuddered in pain. She tried to rise without putting pressure on her broken limb, tried desperately to get away, but Najisi pinned her to the ground with a clawed paw that drew blood. She turned, her eyes wide with panic, as he pulled back, deadly focused, and poised with murderous glint in his eye. A predatory glare. She felt sick in her stomach.

"What are you doing!? Get off of me!" _Oh Kings no. He wouldn't._  
The lion moved his other paw around and pressed his claw tips deeper into her flank, sending spasms of pain through her. He leaned in close. He wasn't done with her. And it wasn't his intention to beat her, or maim her as he had been maimed. And he certainly didn't mean to kill her. The dreadful truth dawned on her as she shouted, despite her injuries, now not caring if Vitani, or Simba, or Scar himself heard her cries. Najisi swung a paw at her face, silencing her briefly.

"When this is over_… _You can tell Zira that I stopped after _teaching you a lesson_." He hissed, eyes gleaming from under scarred marks.

"Stop this! It wasn't me that hurt you! It was Zira!" She howled in pain, real terror present in her voice now._ Oh Kings no. Please no. Not this. _She wanted to throw up. She wanted to vanish. This couldn't be happening.

"_Zira _isn't here. But you are." The scarred lion hissed as he towered over her, claws unsheathed, so close she could feel his breath. "You can tell your savage _Queen_," He said, dangerously, his intent awfully clear. "What it felt like to _degrade _yourself to my level." Kulana struggled and screamed, biting and tearing at him, ignoring the fire that melted through her leg even as she moved.

* * *

Some distance away, Vitani grunted, dragging a young Zebra between her teeth. Time was getting on, and they needed to be quick, else Simba or one of his lionesses would discover them, and Vitani had no inclination to fight that battle now.

She hesitated as a sound hit her ears.

Violent roars, and cries of pain.

Vitani swore. Did this mean Simba had discovered them? Vitani gasped. Then, steeled herself. She couldn't leave Kulana here. Cursing, she ran at full pelt towards the sounds of the fighting.

She burst through the savannah, to the clearing where Kulana lay, screaming, Vitani barely processed the presence of Najisi, or his survival. She processed the hungry look he was giving Kulana as he towered over her injured form. His intention was unmistakable.

"_NO_!" She shouted angrily, and charged at him. To hell with Simba and the Pridelanders.

She rushed at him, claws outstretched and slashed at him. Her claws raked into his face, and he shouted in pain.

"_Get away from her!" _She shouted. Najisi turned grunting, his pained expression turning into a snarl as his eyes narrowed when he recognised Vitani.

"Ah. Zira'sdaughter. Such wonderful irony. Come to join your Pride Sister?" He asked her, giving a lecherous glare.

"Don't you _touch_ her!" Vitani snarled and giving a yell, launched herself once more. Najisi twisted and dodged the cleaving strike, before biting down hard on her exposed flank. His teeth sank into her neck, cutting deep. She howled and struggled, trying to throw Najisi from her, trying to shake him lose. His was persistent though, and he clawed at her.

"Or what?!" He snarled. "What are you going to do?" He taunted her through gritted teeth. He mauled at her flank, sending spasm of pain through her side, and Vitani forced back a scream of pain.

Vitani fought back, snapping at Najsis, and fighting with a primal anger that burned through her. She slashed at Najisi, drawing blood and causing him to grunt in anger.

Then, gripping Vitani with his own claws, jerked around, throwing her to the ground. Najisi leapt up, and pinned her to the ground. Vitani struggled, unable to move her arms, and snapped up at his neck. Najisi jerked back, snarled, and swung a paw at Vitani's unprotected face, she shouted, and he struck again. Blood sprayed from Vitani's mouth.

"You chose a poor time to develop a conscience, Vitani… I wonder what _Zira _will think of her daughter with a lion as _pathetic _as me?" He asked her, his eyes wide with anger. Vitani spat at his face, and thrashed, trying to free herself.

"Just kill me, _coward!" _She spat.

"Oh, maybe I will. When I am finished… You _really _shouldn't have come out here alone, Vitani." He said,chuckling cruelly, as he pressed a paw to her throat.

...

...

Then he jerked stiffly.

"Ugh… What?!" He gasped in pain, his back arching.

A loud tearing noise.

"_One thing you should have learnt about Outlanders, before crossing us. Is that we _always_ stick together. Who said that they were alone?" _A voice asked, calmly, in a tone that felt like ice. Najisi gasped in pain, and stumbled back.  
Behind him, Nuka stood there. The young lion's clawed paw was dripped in blood, almost up to the elbow. He turned to look at Nuka in shock, feeling uselessly at a wound in his back where blood now burst.

"I… You… But…" He gasped for air. Nuka stared at him impassively. "But you're no one… You're just…" He staggered back.

"I am Nuka, Son of Scar." He said quietly. "Perhaps everyone else has forgotten that fact. But I doubt you will for the rest of your life. Which, by the way, won't be for much longer." He said. Then, moving like lighting, he leapt forwards, clawing at Najisi. He roared in anger, and struck several time. Hindered, tired, and bleeding profusely from behind, Najisi could barely put up a defence. He gasped in pain as Nuka cuff struck him in the side of the head, and sprayed blood. He grunted, and suddenly, Nuka had rushed up to him, battered away his other paw, and sank his teeth around Najisi's neck. He struggled for a grip for a moment, then, bit down hard, redoubling his bit. More blood burst from between his jaws, and Najisi wheezed, and he fell back, Nuka standing over him with his jaws still bound tightly around his neck. Then Nuka grunted, and twisted. With a sickening _CRACK _he jerked his head. Najisi fell silent. And Nuka relaxed his grip. Najisi stared with empty eyes, his head twisted at an unnatural angle, his neck broken. Pausing only to spit out a mouthful of blood, Nuka rushed to his sister's aid.

"Sis! 'Tani, Kul, are you alright?" He asked. Vitani crawled to her feet, panting, shaken, but alive.

"I am unhurt. Kulana, is she okay?" She gasped between gulps of air. Nuka moved over to her.

"Nuka… Thank the Kings…" Kulana managed to gasp. Her eyes were unfocused. She was slipping in an out of consciousness. Nuka looked over her injuries.

"Her leg is broken." He noted, and moved to her other side. "Help me." He instructed Vitani as he tried to maneuverer Kulana without hurting her. He was older than both of the lionesses, but he'd never been a strong lion, and he grunted with the strain. Vitani helped drag her onto his back, and Kulana moaned when her broken leg was touched. Vitani cursed, then moved as quickly as she could. Nuka grunted, then adjusted her weight and took a tentative step forward.  
"Let's move. We have to get out of here before Simba arrives – which could be moment. You were making quite a racket."

"What are you even doing out here?!" Vitani asked him. Nuka grunted again.

"It was the Termite's idea. When he realised you'd gone hunting, he figured out that you'd have left the Outlands. I didn't think you'd be so foolhardy, we never hunt here except as a full party – in case of running into Simba's Pride. Even Kovu doesn't move alone here and he's the _Chosen One. _Mother thought it ludicrous, but he was frantic with worry. I told him I'd check on you. I picked up your scent – almost lost it over the water, but Kulana kept going to a crossing, and then I found you. And that _Rouge_." He said the word like an insult.

"Thank you… If you hadn't come when you did…."

"Thank Kovu for that." Nuka said, looking faintly unwell at the concept. "He was arguing with Mother when I left."

* * *

A short distance later they had crossed into the Outlands, heedless of any risks from River Lords or other predators. Their destination was single minded. They passed into the termite mounds of Golgorath, and once there, they began to attract attention.

"What's happened?" A lioness called out, looking at Nuka in shock. Nuka looked down and saw that he was still dripping in blood and gore from his fight, and both Vitani and Kulana were covered in injuries. She looked at Nuka in surprise, but Nuka ignored her, and moved Kulana into one of the smaller peaks.

"Fetch Meetra!" Nuka called out, referring to the one lioness who was any good with herbs or healing. She was no Shaman but she knew which leaves poisoned and which cured and which could be taken to dull pain. One of the younger lionesses vanished in a moment to fetch her, and Nuka deposited Kulana to the ground in the shade gratefully. He gasped as the weight was relinquished, and moved a short distance away to recover. The murmuring grew quieter as Kovu arrived.

He took one look at the scene, and could barely contain his shock.

"'Tani!" He gasped, running over to his sister. Vitani smiled at Kovu and shook her head at his concern when he saw her wounds.  
"It's not as bad as it looks". She protested.

"You were right." Nuka told Kovu quietly. Kovu looked at his older brother.

"Is Kulana –"

"She's alive. That's all I know for sure. This became… complicated."  
"Okay. Tell me what happened?" Kovu said as Meetra rushed into the cavern as directed and saw to Kulana. "Did Simba's Pride attack you? Tyrants' teeth, did _Simba _find you? I knew I should have gone with you – I _warned _Mother that she was playing games with people's lives."

"No. It wasn't Simba."

"What?" he asked. Nuka snarled in response.

"It was Najisi."

"What?!"

That Rouge, Mother tore to pieces and humiliated. Turns out he escaped into the Pride lands and told them some sob story about how he was some poor lost traveller set upon in the Outlands by the mean old Outlanders. The suckers licked up every bit of it." He said. Kovu swore.  
"So when you went into the Pridelands…"

"He was waiting. He found Kulana first. Attacked her. _Hurt _her. Then when he was finished with her, he went for Vitani. That was when I arrived."

"What happened to Najisi?" Kovu asked, eye wide with fury.

"He died." Nuka said, and didn't elaborate. Kovu nodded in understanding and clenched a fist.

"Pity. I'd have liked a piece of him myself."

"Save yourself for Simba. He's the one who let that monster walk about freely." Nuka warned him. Kovu grimaced.

"_What's going on here?"_ Came a voice. It was Zira. The Outlanders were quiet.

"Kulana and Vitani are hurt!" One of younger lionesses said quickly, retreating on Zira's approach. Zia entered the cavern, and looked at the injured lionesses. She looked taken aback. Kovu snarled in anger.

"Kulana and Vitani were hunting in the Outlands. _Alone." _He said, and several of the Outlanders looked about in shock.

"Simba did this!"

"Not _quite. _It was Najisi. The Rouge lion you pulled apart." Zira snarled.

"I shouldn't have left him alive…" She muttered.

"No." Kovu said coldly. "You shouldn't have. Fortunately, Nuka _did _listen to my… advice… and has corrected that _mistake."_ He told her. Zira blinked.

"What were you doing in the Pridelands?" Zira asked in shock.

"_The right thing."_ Kovu growled. "Sadly, before he did get there, Najisi had already attacked and wounded Kulana and Vitani."

"Are they alright?" Zira asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"They are alive." Kovu said, his voice level. "They are _not _alright. Kulana especially." He said.

"What happened?"

"She was attacked by a rouge, outside of her own territory, beaten almost unconscious, brutalised and is being treated by Meetra. You met the lecherous, creep! _What do you think happened?" _Kovu growled.

"_I told you!" _He seethed. Zira glared at him.

"Are you telling me you knew this would happen? I should adjust our plans to take into account your newfound talent of prophesy." Zira snapped as Kovu glowered.

"I _warned _you that if you kept this up someone was going to get hurt! You keep playing with people's lives! This is your fault!" Kovu snapped. There was silence. Zira stared at him.

"_My fault? _How am I to blame for this?_" _She asked.

"You were the one who demanded Kulana hunt back a week's worth of meat in such a short span of time. You _knew _she'd be forced to go to the Pridelands to meet such an impossible demand – probably _hoped_ it! You _knew _it was dangerous but you couldn't resist being just a little _crueller_!" Kovu accused her.

"Don't behave like a child. She's old enough to make her own choices."

"She didn't chose to be attacked by Najisi."

"She_ chose_ to hunt in the Pridelands. I gave her no such order. And as for Vitani-"

"But you must have known it would have been impossible to follow that order hunting the Outlands alone! You _must _have known she would have no choice but to try it!" Kovu said angrily. Zira growled.

"Be that as it may, I am not responsible for Vitani following her, and I am hardly responsible for what befell Kulana. I had no idea Najisi was in the Pridelands, and I couldn't have imagined he would do something so unspeakable. Do you think I'd have left him in one piece – much left alive – if I thought he were capable of doing that to a lioness!"

"I think that would depend on the lioness." Kovu said coldly. Zira hissed, and moved closer, pressing her face into Kovu's. Kovu didn't back down, but he did flinch as she came closer.

"I will _not _apologise for meeting out punishment when it was due, just because it had unintended consequences. Do not speak to me like that, _cub._" She said dangerously. Vitani stared at her brother. The young lion was furious. He was radiating anger like heat from a white hot coal. His paws clenched into fists, crushing the dust beneath his paws.

"If I hadn't sent Nuka after Kulana and Vitani, they could have been killed – or worse! For all we know, Kulana _has _been_. Don't you care?!" _Kovu raged. Several of the Outlanders stepped back in fear as Kovu snarled at his mother, neither wanting to be between these two. Zira glowered.

"How _dare _you?" She asked. "She wouldn't even have been in the Outlands if she'd learnt to keep her mouth shut!" She snapped. Even Vitani's eyes widened in shock at that statement.

"So it's _her _fault?!" Kovu roared, sounding angrilly.

"Of course I don't think it's her-" Zira eyes were narrow, at the sound of his tone.

"Just not yours either, right? You're the one who didn't kill Najisi when you had the chance! You're the one who _played _with him until he snapped! You could have just let the miserable sack of slime be on his way, but _no _you had to _teach him a lesson!_ You're the one who he wanted to get his claws into! Kulana was just _there. _And for what? Because she had the courage to tell you when you were _wrong!"_

"_Kovu!"_ Vitani hissed. Kovu turned to her, but if she sought to calm him, that was a mistake, because he saw her injuries again, and snarled in anger.

"What about your own daughter! What about _my sister! _Can't you see that she could have _died! _Theycould have been –" He stopped himself, because Zira had unsheathed her claws and advanced towards him.

"Silence!" Zira shouted, and swung a paw. Kovu leapt back, and the crashed into his side, knocking him to the ground. Zira was fully grown lioness, and Kovu was lean and strong, but was still a juvenile. He leapt from the ground with a roar, and unsheathed his own claws.  
"Stop this!" Vitani shouted, but Zira turned to her and roared in anger. Vitani leapt back in fear, and Zira glared at Kovu, who tried to meet her glare without backing down.

"Are you going to try this now, Kovu? Are you really ready to lead this Pride? Or are you going to _back down? _You will lead this Pride when Simba is dead at my feet, when Scar is avenged and my vengeance is complete and _not before. Until this time, I AM THE QUEEN, and I WILL REIGN HERE!"_ Kovu hesitated, and Zira used his indecision to slash at Kovu, who fell backwards in pain. "You are Scar's Heir. Not Scar himself. Don't presume to know better than me, whelp, unless you are prepared to accept everything that comes with that. Well? Are you?" She challenged him. Kovu stared at his mother. Then bowed his head in submission. He backed down.

"Enough!" Nuka added his voice to the bubbling cauldron of anger. "Do you think maybe we could focus on the two lionesses who are injured?" he protested, looking anxious and more than a little .

Ignoring him, Zira reached a clawed paw across and ran it down the side of Kovu's cheek. He pulled away from her cold touch. After her outburst of violence the gentle, almost tender action made him flinch and shudder.

"One day, Kovu, you will rule. I want that. I _live _for that. But that will be in the Pridelands, and the day, will be when I have had my _vengeance_. Not before. And not here. Don't you _ever _challenge me again. Do you understand?" She whispered to him, coldly.

Looking up at the two lionesses, she gazed at their wounds. Kulana was unconscious, and clearly the more severely wounded of the two.

"Nuka is right." She said, the words sounding alien to her lips. "Our focus must be on the wounded. Not on the past. Najisi is dead." She nodded at Nuka – perhaps the closest to commending him as she could manage – and then looked to Meetra.

"Ensure she has everything she needs to recover from this ordeal. Then see to my daughter." She commanded. She gave Kovu one last calculating glance. Then turned, with a tail-swish, and left the termite mound.

* * *

When she left, several of the Outlanders went with her, and after a few moments, the atmosphere relaxed somewhat. Vitani eased out a breath.  
"_Kovu!" _She whispered. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Kovu said, touching a paw to his injury. Meetra, the old lioness moved over to him and inspected it despite his protests. She tsked at whatever it was she saw, and prepared some extra herbs, giving Kovu a scowl as she applied them. _Not a word. _Her eyes told her. Kovu new using such precious medicine for such a frivolous wound was strictly forbidden. Surely, Meetra knew that to? Eventually, Vitani gratefully accepted some of the pain dulling herbs for herself, and Meetra insisted on administering some to Nuka, despite the young lion insisting he was fine. Satisfied with her patience, she left the cavern.  
"I'll instruct no one to enter. Kulana needs rest, and healing. I've tried to set the injury, but she needs to keep it still or else it'll heal awkwardly and she'll end up with a limp. The other poultices should stop anyone's wounds from festering but if you _do _see any traces of the rot _tell me. _Don't try to carve it out yourselves again, you'll only make it worse." She said, and left.

Kovu turned to Vitani.

"Who was that aimed at?"

"All of us." Nuka admitted. Eventually, Kulana made a noise.

"Huh? What? No! No! Stop!" She was beginning to come to. Kovu rushed over to her.

"Kulana!" He called to her. The lioness's eye blinked open, and she stared up at him groggily. She was pale, and her eyes were wide and frightened. She flinched away at his touch, before recognizing him.

"Kulana, it's me! It's okay! It's alright now." He told her.

"Kovu?"

"Yeah. Its okay, 'Lana. You're safe. You're home." He told her. She looked around and, sure enough, she recognized the cavernous enclave of a termite mound. And around her were Vitani and Nuka.

"Try to stay still, your leg is busted up, but Nuka and Vitani got you back here in one piece." Kovu told her. Kulana groaned, and looked around, finding Vitani and Nuka's concerned eyes.

Vitani grinned.

"Hey there Kulana. I came as soon as I could. You know that right? We got him off you and got you out of there." She told her. Kulana nodded.

"I remember… Najisi…" She groaned.

"Try not to think about that now. Just… Just try and get some rest, and heal up, okay? That's an order." Nuka told her.

"Yes sir." She told him. Nuka sighed, and left the cavern. Vitani followed him, and for a moment, Kovu made to go as well, but Vitani shook her head.

"_You can't leave her alone now!" _Vitani hissed. Kovu blinked. But they were both going. Nuka sighed.

"Kovu, I _can't _talk to her now, not after what she's been through, I am no good _talking _to people. I just got good at killing stuff. And do you really want to leave her alone with Vitani? You stay. Keep her talking. She has to be in shock. It might help." Nuka told him. Kovu paused remembering Vitani's bedside manner. Giving a sigh, Kovu nodded wordless, as the two other lions left the cave. Kulana smiled weakly.

"Thanks… For everything Kovu. If you hadn't sent Nuka." She trailed off. Kovu paused.

"Kulana. How much to you remember about what happened?" He asked her. Kulana hesitated. Now she was settled, she seemed calmer.

"All of it." She told him. Kovu looked to her leg and saw that Kulana clearly felt no pain. The herbs Meetra had given her were clearly very effective. Kulana gave a harsh sound that almost sounded like a sob.

"If Nuka hadn't arrived when he did…" She trailed off. "Did you know that Nuka could fight?" She asked Kovu, trying to change the subject. Kovu nodded.

"Yeah. I a while back, he started fighting with Vitani and Iesha. He even started sparing with the Cheetahs and the Leopards – to learn their speed and balance, he told me. They stopped not long after they figured out he was an Outlander though. But he didn't stop training…"

"I never knew." She said. It was a rare day that Nuka could surprise her.

"Yeah. I think he hoped that Mother would notice. Or maybe have him do something more important." Kovu guessed. Kulana sighed again.

"Kovu?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know to send Nuka after me?" She asked him. Kovu was quiet.

"I guess I knew something wasn't right. Something was always going to go wrong. Mother set you that task _knowing _you'd be forced to enter the Pridelands. There's a reason we _never _cross alone, _good _reasons. If not today, then tomorrow, or soon at any rate. I didn't _know _what would happen. But I know something would happen to someone, sooner or later. Mother thought the risk was worth it." He said.

"Worth what? Why did Queen Zira send me?" Kulana asked him.

"I… I think she wanted to test the Pridelands borders. See if they were as watched as closely as we thought they were. Test Simba's response time. Try to find weak points in his patrols. She didn't know that Najisi would be there but… But I knew that sooner or later, _someone _was going to get hurt. I tried to tell her, I tried to warn her, but she doesn't listen to anyone but herself! She wants me to be the _Chosen One, _she wants me to lead, but she doesn't want me to act against what _she says _is right, and I don't know what to do. And now, you've been hurt and…"

"It's okay, Kovu…" Kulana told him.

"It's not okay! You could have been killed! The only reason I am fighting this battle, the only reason I am _here _is because I will _not _give up, until everyone in my Pride is safe. Until we can live freely and happily in our _real_ homes, not this blasted, worthless _wasteland_!" he said bitterly. "How does Mother getting you hurt help us in that mission?" He asked her. Kulana shook her head.

"You'll be a fairer and kinder King than Simba or Zira, Kovu." She told him.

"And in the meantime, what happens to my friends?" He protested.

"We endure. We've lasted this long. So long as we stick together." Kulana told him.

"I can't ask you to endure this. What Najisi did? That was worse than anything Simba has inflicted upon us. I can't, I _won't _reclaim the Pridelands if it comes at that sort of price." Kovu told her.

"I didn't endure anything beyond a few scrapes and bruises." Kulana said, though she was clearly still pale and frightened.

"Kulana you don't –"

"He tried, but he failed. Thanks to you." Kulana said, quietly. "Vitani dragged Najisi off me _before _he was able to… I mean… She _stopped _him. And Nuka killed the swine. He didn't get what he wanted from me. Do you hear me? I am just a little sore." Kulana said, smiling bravely.

That was an understatement. A _massive _one. But Kovu couldn't help but smile at the effort she made to comfort him. She reached up, and touched his cheek, where Zira had scratched him.  
"You're bleeding…" She observed. Kovu shrugged.

"I told Mother what I really thought. It happens." He said without paying it much notice.

"You did what?! Kovu, telling Zira the truth is what started this mess in the first place!"

"No! Najisi being a despicable monster is what started this – nothing that you did started this." Kovu said sharply.

"I… Thank you, Kovu. For… Standing up to your Mother for me. Thank you for sending Nuka to help Vitani and me. Thank you for being a good friend." She told him.

"I… Will be a _Great _King. Like Scar was. I'll take care of my friends." Kovu promised her. "That means I will have the strength to protect my people. And no one, not Simba, not Najisi, not _anyone _is ever going to hurt my friends again. Not on my watch." Kovu told her. Kulana smiled.

"You already _are _a Great King." Kulana told him. She couldn't stand up, Kovu lay down next to her, so that he was no longer standing and looking down to her. When he was level with her, She reached up a paw lightly touched another of his injuries. Proof of what Zira's response to his open defiance had been. "Because you _care_. I don't know why you would, but you do." She said. Kovu's eyes widened.

"What? Of course I care. Don't speak like that." He said.

"I am an Outlander. A savage. An _outsider. _I know what I am. I take care of myself because no one else will. Simba didn't care, when he sentenced me to starve to death in the Outlands. Zira didn't care, when she used me as her solider." She reminded her.

"That doesn't make you worthless. You are so much more than that!" He said hotly.

"Am I? What am I, Kovu? A solider? A thief? A killer? A thing to be used by leaches like Najisi then tossed aside? What am I to anyone? I am _nothing."_ She said. "So. What I am trying to say is, thank you. For caring about me anyway." She said. Kovu looked on in surprise.

"Kulana. I am so sorry. For everything that happened to you." He said quietly. He didn't look at her. To hear her speak of herself worth in such a way shook him..

"What are you sorry for?"

"I was so angry. I blamed Mother for what happened… But I guess it was my fault." He told her. Kulana paused.

"Now tell me how did you work that one out?" She asked him in blatant confusion. Kovu looked at her apologetically.

"Because I was _weak. _I still am. I can't kill Simba. Not now. Not like this. And your ordeal started because you told my Mother that. Because I didn't _dare _tell her myself. Because of how she punished weakness. That's why you were where you were. Because I was _scared._" He told her.

"Kovu…"

"I was _frightened, _by what my own mother would do. I was more frightened of her than I was of my own death at Simba's paws. And that was wrong. Because if I go to Mother and tell her that I need more time… Then I'll suffer. But if I fail to kill Simba. If I have only one shot and I fail, then it won't just be me that suffers. It will be everyone. You and Meetra. Damu, Iesha, Nuka, Vitani, Mother, and all the rest. _All _of them, will die. I can't. I can't do that. I have to train harder, I have to be stronger, I have to defeat Simba, I have to avenge Scar, _I cannot fail, _no one can afford that_!_" He told her, beginning to ramble. "You though. You have so much _more _than that. You can have a life! Your own – not the one picked out for you! A world! A home. You'll be able to hunt for sport, not because someone will die if you miss the next hunting party. You can have a family." He said excitedly.

"You sent Nuka. You _saved _me from unimaginable things. Probably Vitani too. I know, that when the time comes, you'll defeat Simba. And then, Zira will hand you the crown. You have all of that ahead of you. A shining new future. Why would you be miserable?" Kulana asked him.

Then his eyes widened.

"Well, because I – Wait, oh Kings, I am sorry." He stopped himself.

"What is it?"

"I mean… No. This is wrong. You're the one who's injured. You're the one who just… with Najisi… And I am babbling about how my life is so ... No, Sorry." He said.

"No. It's okay." Kulana said. "I actually get it. You're the chosen one. The one whom Zira is pinning all our hopes on. The one who will kill Simba. That's a huge burden. It must be crushing." She said. Kovu scratched himself absently.

"I have no choice. I'll do it though. I swear it. No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do. We've suffered in this miserable, wretched place for about as long as we ever could, and I promise you that Simba, and his lionesses will die screaming for doing this to us. We'll be able to go _home. _Our real homes. Think about that." He said. Kulana closed her eyes, and remembered how she felt to be back in the Pridelands. Yes. That prize was worth any cost.

"I hate this place." She said. "I hate these lands. When I was back in the Pridelands… I felt it. The _grass. _The wind. It was home. I… hate it here. I hate living as one of Zira's pawns. I hate waiting for each day to end only to begin anew, I hate carving up our kills to stop each other from dying of starvation. I hate that Simba chose to kill us slowly rather than putting me out of misery when I was just a cub. I hate that I have to _steal_ meat so that I can eat_._ I hate that I am an Outlander.I hate that I have to watch my friends be tortured by their own mother for the sake of her own vengeance. Can you understand that? When we live like this… What does it matter if Najisi has his way?" Kulana asked tentatively reached out a paw.

"Of course it matters. Because you are a _fantastic _lioness. You don't deserve this life. None of us do. And we won't. Not for much longer. You'll walk in the Pridelands again. I _promise _you, Kulana, I _swear _it. When I am King and Simba is dead you will have your life back." He promised her.

"But that isn't all. I don't hate everything here." Kulana told him. Kovu blinked in surprise. Hate was easy to understand. Hate helped him fight, kept him going when injury or fear should have made him back down. Even today, in his fight with his mother, his anger, his fury had inspired him to hitherto unknown levels of defiance he didn't know he had possessed.

"I love that my friends will fight for what is right. I love that we'll never, ever give up, even in the face of such misery, and despair! I love that we'll stand by each other, and I love that we'll stand up to tyranny and injustice. I love that my loyalties lie with the King who starved and suffered with us when famine and terror struck the land – not the pretender who stayed comfortable and quiet when it suited him and reappears out of the blue when it's convenient! I am an Outlander. And I am damn proud of that. And the thing I love most of all, is that the more death we are faced with, the more misery and the more brutality fate heaps upon us, the more we come face to face with decay and death, the more _dearly _we cling to life! Of all of the creatures in the Great Kingdoms, in all the realms, in all the Prides, is there any among who no better what it means to be _alive_! To _live_?" She asked fiercely. "And though I am all of that, _you _are so much more, no matter what your mother thinks!" She said.

Kovu choked.

"Kulana…"

"No. Don't say a word. Words are wind in the Outlands. Be the King of the Outlanders. Learn to love _life. Live._" And with that, she pressed him to the ground with a paw.

"Najisi couldn't take what he wanted from me, not with all of his might." She said. "But it is still mine to give to whom I chose. To whoever I think is worthy."

Kovu looked surprised, then something in his eyes seemed to break. _"To hell with Mother…" _He muttered, and nuzzled Kulana with a passion.

And she was right. None knew better than they, what it meant to live, and then the starving, miserably, amoral wretches living in the Outlands. None so far had ever known what it meant to grasp at live. To live from the barest thread, to the last gasping breath, to the final faint beat of the heart.

They _lived _there in that cavern, far from the prying eyes of other Outlanders, far from Zira's schemes.

It wasn't love.  
But it was _life._

That much was clear to Danyal and Sundar as they gazed upon the Outlander King and the Lioness.

Such a pure thing as love couldn't be born out of the wild and wicked world they lived in. Romance couldn't hope to flourish there any more than a wildflower could grow amid the ice caped mountains at the peak of the world. The horrors and unspeakable things they had endured and had come to close to enduring could never hope to produce something as radiant.

They lay there in their misery and their despair and their loneliness, passion and lust burning, trying, desperately and futilely, to fill their lives with _something. _To bring some meaning to their pitiful existences. Whilst Sundar's and Danyal's love had grown up in war, between the chaos and the blood and the fighting, it had grown, nevertheless, out of light, hope and devotion, the bond between Kulana and Kovu was different. It was primal, and born out of hopelessness, despair and longing for some life, any life, different to what fate had given them.

No.

* * *

They were not in love.

And they were _alive._

* * *

The memories of Kulana and Kovu, still locked in passionate lust, vaporised, reforming quickly to show a new scene.

Some time had passed, for Kulana's external injuries were healed, though she walked with a prominent limp, and winced with every movement. Clearly the limb was only half healed, and would need at least another month before the injury was fully healed, for they had no Shaman or mystical healing to give aid to those injured in this time. She left her weight on the other three limbs and flexed the injured leg as she moved.

The area was unrecognizable. Eventually, she turned around, sighing, seemingly giving up on whatever she had decided, before hearing a sound. Turning, she saw two approaching lions.

"Vitani. Nuka…" Kulana said. She looked around, and saw no Kovu to her obvious disappointment. Vitani looked to her injury with concern, her face betraying what she thought of Kulana moving around whilst it was still healing, but she said nothing. Kulana was her own person, capable of making her own choices.

"Mother took him for personal training. He couldn't come." Nuka said.

"Its the first time they've renewed training together since… what happened. I think he must have impressed her, because she's redoubled the difficulty." Vitani added. Kulana nodded.

"Good. That's good." She said slowly.

"So… What's with all the secrecy? Why are we meeting out here? Mother doesn't hold a grudge with anyone but Simba, she's not barred us from speaking to you." Nuka said. Kulana sighed.

"I need to tell you something." She said slowly. Taking a breath, she hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Vitani asked her.

"I am leaving." Kulana said quietly. The two lions balked.

"_What?!"_

"_No!"_ They exclaimed together. Kulana shook her head.

"I don't have a choice." Kulana said. Vitani scowled.

"Kulana please. After what happened, Mother's been far more careful with who she sends where, and how she treats our Pridesisters. She might not feel guilt, but she _does _learn from the past! Nothing like that will ever happen again, and we did _everything_ we could to help you! Please, don't feel –"

"I know. But it's more than that…" Kulana said.

"Then what? Has something happened?" Nuka asked, his bored attitude evaporating instantly with this new shock.

"You could say that." Kulana admitted.

"What is it? I know how hard things are out here, Kulana, I understand more than anyone, but you can't just –"

"Guys… I need this to stay between us, okay? You can't tell anyone – not even Kovu." Kulana implored them. At Vitani and Nuka's uncertain nod, she swallowed. "Look, guys… I am pregnant, okay? That's what's happened." She said.

There was stunned silence. It was quiet. So quiet that they could hear the sound of the wind blowing the dust along the ground, the tiny grains rubbing together as they did. Vitani and Nuka looked at each other, then to Kulana. They eyes bulged and their voices rang out together in alarm.

"_What?!"_

"_NO!"_

They said in shock.

"Yes." Kulana said stoically. Vitani's mouth was wide open.

"How lon_-" _Nuka began.

"_A month."_ Vitani said, her eyes wide, and her voice cold. She met Kulana's eyes. "That's right isn't it?" She asked her. Kulana swallowed, then nodded. Vitani swore, and slammed her paws down in anger, kicking up sand. She roared and raged for a moment.

"Kulana… I am _so _sorry. So very sorry. I _tried_." She said, looking appalled. Nuka looked at them both in shock.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." She said, kindly. Vitani shuddered though.

"But that _thing, Najisi, he… he. _Oh Kings… You can't have a cub, you're so young! Dangerously so!" She looked aghast. That was true. Kulana was very young. Still an adolescent by most people's reckoning, the same as Kovu and Vitani. Even Nuka, a good several months their senior balked at the idea of having cubs, and Kulana was far younger than he.

"It's okay… I can… I know I can handle this. I am young but I am not a child." She said, not looking at all certain. Vitani nodded. She swallowed, her mind racing.

"Yes, that's right. What is it you always say? _Us Outlanders stick together?"_ Vitani tried. Kulana smiled gratefully. That would be so nice. She shook her head.

"Not this time, Vitani." She said sadly.

"_But you can't leave. _Not like this, not now!" She protested.

"I _have _to." She said adamantly.

"_Because of Zira?"_ Vitani asked, referring to her mother by name. Kulana hesitated.

"Yes."

"I've told you, she won't ever –"

"No. I won't raise my child near her. Do you know what she will do to my cub? _What if it is a boy _Vitani? _What if Zira decides that he is a threat?_" She asked them. Vitani looked taken aback.

"What? Why would she think that?" Vitani asked, sounding confused.

"Scar lost his birthright when a more suitable heir was born, that was what started all of this!" Kulana pointed out.

"Why would Zira think Kovu was threatened by a cub? By _your _cub? You're one of us!" Vitani protested.

"Najisi wasn't. Zira knows what happened to me. What if Zira sees Najisi in my cub? What if Zira decides that there is too much of his father in my son? She'd do what she always does to a threat. She'd crush it into the dirt. Would you stop here? Would you be able to? Do you think I should take that risk with my child's life?"

"_But you didn't chose this!" _Vitani protested. "_Mother wouldn't –"_

"How sure of that are you? What about you, Nuka? Are you _certain _that your mother would even let my cub be _born?"_ She said. Nuka looked horrified at the mere suggestion. But he didn't immediately rise to his mother's defense. He thought for a moment.

"Oh course-"

"Honestly. Look me in the eye." Kulana challenged him. He paused again.

"_I don't know."_ He admitted slowly. Vitani looked aghast.

"How can you even _say_ that?! That's _obscene!_" Vitani protested angrily, clearly offended.

"I… What if Mother… Misunderstood?" Nuka asked cautiously. Vitani growled at the suggestion and Kulana looked at her sadly.

"I could never take that risk, not with the life of an innocent child." Kulana said. Then, her expression softened. "That is why I can't stay. But even if she doesn't hurt him outright, do you think I could ever raise a child out here? In the _Outlands_? In the dust and the termite mounds? Where there is so little food, barley any water, where we steal to survive? You think I want that for my child?" Kulana asked. Vitani looked around at the desolation, at the wasteland she so despised. She hated and cursed the Outlands with her first waking breath each day. To raise a cub in such misery would be cruel. She swallowed.

"Forget about the Outlands! You'd be turning your back on the Pridelands! We're so close! So _close _now, to reclaiming the Pridelands! So close to taking back what is _ours. _You can't go now!" Vitani tried desperately.

"And in the meantime, how much of that could a cub take? I have to think of _him¸_ not of myself!"

"_We_ survived out here." Nuka pointed out.

"Exactly. And I know how hard it is."

"So you are going to run away instead! _You!_ Of all of us, I would never have thought _you _to be the first to give up._"_ Vitani said bitterly.

"I leave, only because I must. I don't _want _this. But some things are more important than Zira's revenge. Some things are more important than us going _home_. I just hope to the Kings to realize that, someday." Kulana said. Vitani looked shocked.

"For the love of the kings don't be a fool, Kulana! Even if…" She trailed off. "Even _if_, Zira _was_ threaten by your cub. There is no need for you to risk this, this foolishness. You could be killed out in the wilds. There are hundreds of others like Najisi just waiting out there. Your son would be no safer there than here. If Mother– for whatever reason, and I don't believe for a moment that she would – were to determine you to be a threat to the rest of the Outlanders, then she would exile you. You'd get your wish, and you'd be an Outcast, far from here, without having to risk going now. Your leg is barely healed! There is no reason to think Mother would ever hurt a cub." Vitani said, angrily.

Kulana sighed sadly.

"I have _every _reason to think that. I know three of them." She sharply. Vitani recoiled as if stung.

"How dare you-." She stopped herself. "You are wrong. So wrong. You are throwing away _everything _we've lived and suffered _so long for. _We're close now. Kovu is nearly ready! We needn't fear Simba much longer!" She pleaded with her friend.

"I am frightened of what Zira will do. Not of Simba." Kulana said.

Vitani growled.

"I _know _you've suffered. Kings, I understand, but you can't, you _can't _do this. You can't give up on us! You are not so _weak." _Vitani spat. Kulana shook her head.

"I do believe in you. I believe that you'll win back the Pridelands. I believe Zira will have her revenge. I believe Simba will pay for what he did to us all, and I believe Kovu will be the one to do it, but I cannot wait for that future. Nor can I believe I will have a place in that future."

"Don't be ridiculous, you are our friend! I don't accept Mother is a danger to your cub. She wouldn't, she _couldn't _do that." Vitani said angrily. Her expression softened. There were no tears. Vitani didn'tcry. She didn't know how.

"If you must go… Then go. And when we've retaken the Pridelands, when we have our home back, when we have our revenge, and when Simba and his family are dead. Come back. And see how wrong you were. You'll see. You'll know that… that I was _right."_ Vitani said. She stiffened herself. "Good luck then, Kulana. Stay safe. Stay alive. Stay an Outlander." She said.

"Goodbye, Vitani." Kulana said. Vitani nodded awkwardly. Then, without another word, she turned and left, leaving Nuka and Kulana alone in the Outlands.

Kulana sighed. Nuka was watching her carefully.

"You really want to do this." Nuka said. It wasn't a question. Kulana sighed.

"You know I don't have a choice. Zira banned any of the lionesses from mating with Rouges. She wanted us fir for battle at all times. We'd be in danger no matter what. But if Zira believes Najisi is the father…" She trailed off.

"I didn't know that." Nuka grimaced. "Even my mother wouldn't condemn you for something beyond your control." Nuka said.

"No. But she would condemn my child for being born the way he or she was. You know that she would." Kulana said frankly. Nuka face fell. Yes. He knew well enough that Zira would be more than capable of that.  
"Yes. She would. She would hate the thought of someone in her pride raising Najisi's offspring. I don't know if she'd hurt him out right – not for sure – but you are right. He wouldn't be safe under her rule." Nuka agreed.

"Vitani doesn't agree." Kulana observed.

"Vitani doesn't know Mother like I do." He said. Kulana said nothing, but looked sadly at Nuka.

"I have no choice. With his father being who he is…" He trailed. Nuka was silent. He stared at her.

"I pulled Najisi off you and Vitani." He said finally. Kulana nodded.  
"You did. Thank you." She said.

"You were still conscious when I arrived." He added.

"Yes." Kulana said. Nuka licked his lips.

"It's just that… I saw your injuries. I carried you back. I was _sure _I'd arrived in time to stop him, before he… well…" He didn't finish. Kulana regarded him without a word.

"You did." She said quietly. Nuka paused.

"I know that people don't value me for my brains, Kulana. But I _can _count to three. If Najisi isn't that child's father… And I am certainly not. Then that leaves only _one._" He said. Kulana didn't say a word. She just nodded. Nuka growled in response. "I'll snap the little termite's neck." He hissed angrily. How could he have done something so _stupid?_ Kulana closed her eyes and sighed.

"Don't. It wasn't his fault."

_"One night of lust and he"_

"We." She corrected him. It would have been all to easy to blame Kovu. or herself but she didn't. There was no blame. But there was a cub. Nuka sat still and stared at her in sadness, and then looked at her belly.

"You reckless..." He didn't finish. he couldn't bring himself to insult her over this. "That's why you fear Zira will think him a threat." Nuka realized. Kulana gave a small sound.

"She knows better than anyone the danger a younger, unwanted heir can present to the throne. My cub is not safe around her. And Kovu needs everything he has to defeat Simba and save you all. _He can't ever know._" She told him. "Promise me, Nuka." She said. Nuka stared at her, then nodded, glumly.

"You are right. He wouldn't be safe near Zira." He admitted. Whatever Vitani thought, this was one thing that Nuka was certain on.

"At the best… she would twist him into a weapon to use against Simba. And I don't want that for my child. The last thing I want is him fighting a war so much bigger than himself." Kulana told him. Nuka swallowed. Then, finally, gave a nod.

"You'll be all alone out there." Nuka noted. "I… Could come with you. If you want that." He said, uncertainly. "For a while." He added. "Until your cub is born. It would be safer. For you and your cub. You can't give birth alone, you're so young, what if something goes wrong?" Nuka asked her. Kulana stared at him in shock.

"Nuka. I… You couldn't. You're so close here. Zira's plans… The Pridelands... You need to be here, where you are needed." She urged him.

"I am not needed here." Nuka said bitterly. "Mother is focusing on Kovu, I am not important, I could go with you." Nuka told her. Kulana hesitated, clearly torn.  
"I won't be coming back, Nuka." She said quietly. "Zira can't ever know, or she'd not rest until my child, and probably me, were dead. That means she can't ever know. She'll think I fled. Think that I ran away, that I gave up on her and Kovu, that I wasn't interested in retaking the Pridelands, _that I was weak. _She'd give me up for dead out here. And if you were to vanish as well? She'd never forgive you. _Ever. _She'd never… She'd never want anything more to do with you Nuka. She'd cut you off completely. You'd never… You'd never earn your mother's love. That's what you want, more than anything, to prove yourself to her. If you came with me, you'd ruin that forever." Kulana told him, sadly. Nuka's face twisted at her words, so bluntly spoken.

"I… But…" He looked crestfallen.

"It's alright. Listem, your place is with your family. Your place is _here. _Stay with them. And when all this is over, Zira might finally have room in her life for something other than revenge." Kulana said. Nuka stared up at her.

"When that day comes, and it will come soon, c_ome back _Kulana. Return to us. _We Outlanders stick together, _you said. _Promise _me, that you'll come back. When the Pridelands are ours again. You and your cub deserve your real home. I want to know him. Or her. Whoever the little termite is going to be." He sighed. Kulana smiled.

"For what it's worth Kulana. You're right. Even if my Mother doesn't… If she isn't a problem. This is no place to raise a cub… Just… Don't stay away so long that you raise him alone." He said. With tears in her eyes, Kulana rushed forwards and licked Nuka on the cheek. The young lion smiled sadly.

"Goodbye, my friend. And… Tell Kovu I am sorry. Don't be harsh on him. It wasn't his fault either. No more than mine." She said honestly. Nuka nodded.

"Okay. Go on then. Until we meet again, Kulana. Stay safe. That's an order." He told her. Kulana stamped her one good leg.

"Yes Sir." She said, and gave a smile. Then she turned around and took a breath, and began to walk away.

"Kulana?" Nuka called after her. She stopped.

"Yes?" She told him.

"Good luck. And whatever you do… If it's a boy… Don't name him _Nuka!_ I mean it." He called after her. Kulana grinned. It was a nice thought. She was almost tempted, just to annoy him. She shook her head. _It would be a boy though. _She could feel it.

"Don't worry. I have a name in mind." She said. Then, nodding in farewell one last time, she left the Outlanders forever.

"His name is Danyal."

* * *

The memories shattered into light as soon as she finished speaking, disappearing like mist, leaving a stunned Danyal.

Sundar looked at the young lion in absolute shock. Danyal was as pale as ice, and looked as though he had stopped breathing some time ago, he didn't make as sound. Instead, he was silent. His eyes were wide, his mouth was dry, and his heart was hamming so loudly he felt as though everyone would hear it. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

"Spirits… I… Oh Danyal." Sundar was lost for words. Danyal struggled to move and took a step away.

"That's… That's _impossible." _He whispered. "It's a _trick_." He said. But it couldn't be. There was a faint flicker of light behind him, and Sundar took a step away. Danyal could _feel _someone behind him, though he hadn't seen or heard anyone enter. He turned to the lioness that now stood behind him.  
She was unscarred, unblemished with age. But had a faintly translucent quality about her. Insubstantial. Not quite there.

He knew who she was as soon as she appeared, though how long she had been standing there, Danyal couldn't say. This was no illusion. No memory. No manifested echo of the past. This was real. Now. The Spirit didn't move, but looked at him with eyes filled with pride, admiration and love. He stared at her, unable to speak, unable to say a word. Unable to comprehend this great shift. The presence of a departed spirit was just one more impossible thing on a mountain of impossible things. His voice died in his throat. He felt it seal up as a wave of emotion his. Every emotion he could feel rolled over him at once.

He was overwhelmed. He couldn't face this all.

"_Mother… Mum…?"_ Danyal asked in the voice of a cub. Sundar was frozen, aware that she was seeing something incredible, something amazing.

"Hello Danyal. My boy." The figure said in reply, in a voice that Danyal and Sundar both knew, for they had heard it just a moment before. Kulana's spirit smiled at the two of them.

* * *

Far away from the camp of the Shai'tan, a tiny glowing dot of green appeared in the air. It fizzled briefly for a moment, before it ripped itself into being. Some figures emerged, and darted through the opening. A pair of felines and a pair of canines.

"_Right." _Jahi said, looking around. "No sudden movements, or I swear it, I'll gut you where you stand." He warned. Harrin nodded.

"Whatever you say." He said acidly.

"Quiet." Forn said, the older grizzled dog looked annoyed. "Just remember what you have at stake Harrin." He warned him. Talib shrugged.

"Oh don't worry. Inti was very specific. We knew you'd come around to our way of thinking eventually. I am sure this is the beginning of a _very_ mutually beneficial arrangement." The you leopard said. Harrin glared at him, and cursed.

"Yeah yeah. I know. Just follow me. And don't mess up." Harrin said.

"So long as you _do your part. _No treachery. No funny business." Forn growled softly. The wilddog was staring at Harrin with a calculating look.

"Who's laughing? You're the boss. Let's go rescue your friends." He said. Forn snorted.

"Actually, he is the boss." He said coolly. The fifth figure stepped through the gateway, and it sealed behind him. It was risky. They couldn't risk leaving it open and having it found – it would jeopardise their entire plan. But it now meant that they were trapped behind enemy lines.

Calin – for that was who the figure was – swallowed. Jahi, Talib and Forn both looked to his lead, and Harrin looked disinterested. _Okay._ He thought to himself. _Time to get started. _Making the lead, the group made their way to the Shai'tan's encampment. _Inti or Sara, or one of the lionesses would stick out like a sore thumb. Forn was no leader. And nobody quite trusted to Talib to lead. So… Let's show the Shai'tan what we're made of, eh Calin?_ He told himself. _Oh. Your talking to yourself already. Wonderful._

* * *

**AN:**

**_On Najisi:_**

**So, we've met our first Rouge.**

**And you can see why some Prides are so distrustful of them.**

**Najisi generically means "Unclean" but it can also literally translate to ****_Rape, or Ruin._**

**Who else thought that Najisi was going to be Danyal's father? That was a Red herring.**

**I shouldn't need to say that this chapter in no way glorifies or presents sexual assault in any positive light. Najisi's actions were not justified, and it shows a darker turn for the story. Hopefully not worldbreakingly dark. This kind of behaviour was of course teased with Ben-Kai-Ra and Asamode – whom we both know took tigresses against their will. Possibly Amun and Raeveal. But this is the closest we've seen to having such an act almost be depicted. There were aspects of Danyal's torture that had invasive, offensive overtones that some likened to a sexual assault. In a sense, what occurred wasn't as bad, because despite what Vitani believes, this ****_did not occur, _****as Kulana told Kovu****_. _****Vitani and Nuka's action prevented that. This, is of course the reason for Vitani never speaking to Danyal of his parentage. The only ones who suspect they know who Danyal's father is, believe him to be conceived in this moment, of the monstrous actions committed by Najisi.**

**Kovu never even knew Kulana was pregnant and lived and died assuming she had fallen pregnant in the wilds – as Danyal believed till now.**

**_On Nuka:_****  
Surprise. Nuka can fight!**

**It made sense that he'd be a decent fighter. As ill and as weak as he looked, he survived in the Outlanders without any of the special attention his siblings got on his own merits, and he clearly thinks he could take Simba alone when Kovu refuses. Would cowardly, pathetic Nuka really rush into a fight with Simba if he wasn't a little capable? He laments being "The fasted, strongest," when he wishes Zira would give him a chance.**

**I doubt he was the smartest but perhaps he wasn't lying about the rest?  
Just an idea that I liked.**

**I gave him a crowning moment of awesome – seeing as he doesn't get one ****_ever _****I like to think he had ****_some _****redeeming qualities. Though he's still petty, bullying and cruel. His good qualities don't replace his negative ones.**

**_On Kulana and Kovu:_**

**To be clear, Kovu and Kulana were not in love.**

**Some relationships aren't the Disney "Romeo and Juliet." Some are complicated. Some are messy. Kulana and Kovu conceived Danyal in a moment of despair, horror, mutual dread of the future. In fear and in misery, where they sought each other's company and pleasures for comfort. ****I hope it was clear what was happening. I have a strict policy against sexual scenes - you want that, go to pornhub, not here - and yet, this chapter was designed to show Danyal's conception, in a desperate night of lust between two desperate, lonely, miserable young lions. Which put me in a quandary. How much do I show?**

**Okay. The biggie.**

**Not out of love.**

**But because they both, in that moment, needed some compassion, some empathy, some sense of ****_rightness_****.**

**I have no idea how feasible it is that Kulana could do that with a busted leg. Suspend your disbelief. **

**Kovu found his, when he met Kiara, and broke his conditioning. And Kulana found hers when she raised Danyal, and saw something beautiful, something ****_right _****be born out of such miserable circumstances.  
Both found their peace with each other.  
**

**Kovu and Kulana are young. About two Years old. In Lion Years, I put that at about 15/16. ****_Very young. _****Too young to have children. Kovu is six months older than Kiara, and that is why when she and Kovu conceive Kiava, he is not born until Kovu is 3.0 Years old (the same as Simba and Nala at the end of LKI), and Kiara is 2 years and 6 Months old (slightly younger), putting them at about 20, and 18 years old in human terms.  
Both Kulana and Kovu were, at this point, roughly the same age of Sundar and Danyal today. So both old enough to be mates – but young enough for it to be considered highly unusual and possibly ill advised, by older Pridemates.**

**_On the Outlanders fighting style:_**

**Think of the creatures as having various fighting styles – a little like the different styles of Kung-Fu. The Outlander-Style is similar in tone to the fighting form practiced by Sekmet, Asamode, and the River Lords. It functions by using anger as a focus, and relying on aggressive reflexes to speed up their responses. Reflex lets them move and fight quicker, and the anger as a focus ensures that the reflex is an aggressive, offensive response, rather than a flinching, fearful one.**

**_On Zira:  
_****Yeah, remember how the characters have been remarking that Zira used to be crazier? Yeah. This is why. She was nuts.**

**_Reviews:_**

**So yeah.  
Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I know it's a lot to take in – do multiple reviews if you need to take a break.**

**We were joined by several first time reviewers this time, and if you are one such of these, I suggest you create an account. You'll be notified whenever I update.**

**Join us next time for Chapter 24: Survival, the third in a trilogy of Danyal-Centric Chapters, where will rejoin Danyal, Son of Kovu, once more.**


	25. Chapter 24 - Leopard Spots

" **The previous chapter had a TONNE of Reviews.**

**As such, I shall be diving the Responses into two points.**

**The individual responses will only respond to reviews on the previous chapter. And I shall discuss the Scar debate raging here.**

**While I love to see you discuss and chatting, I would very much like it if you got yourself accounts.  
That way you could use the PM System to coordinate short chats, and use the Reviews for feedback, review, critique, and longer responses. A conversation of twenty reviews, each three lines long isn't as useful as a smaller series of longer reviews, and the PMs would also let me respond in person to each of your comments, thoughts, and reviews. Something I can't do as well en mass here.**

**So, in lieu of a more formal response, here is a general reply to some of the issues raised.**

**I will give a sort of Q&amp;A of some of the issues being brought up, in order to give in some cases, my own opinion on some of the subjective matters, and address some of the canon.  
The Q/A is as large as a Chapter in itself at 5,000 words.**

**It was… surprising… I'll admit, to see both the massive support for Scar, and the huge rejection of Simba, and his family."**

**"Why Did Kovu Love Kiara! She was nothing like him!"**

Whoa boy.  
This again.  
I have never understood this irrational hatred for Kiara in some parts of the fandom. You'd almost think people didn't enjoy her Movie. I mean...

Why did Kovu love Kiara, when ultimately, she is nothing like him?

Have you considered that was why he loved her?

What makes you think that he valued the ability to kill things? Anger, hatred, ruthlessness. Why makes you think Kovu would love that, just because he has it in abundance?

Kiara is a fantastic character who stood up for what was right. Not what was easy.  
She doesn't have the same qualities of Kulana. She has compassion, mercy, understanding, thoughtfulness and heart. As is later noted, she had the uncanny ability to know a person with a look. She knew the real lion inside, not the façade they were putting on. She trusted Kovu on nothing more than a gut feeling of "I think he's changed." Despite all evidence to the contrary. She has amazing instincts. For someone who's depicted as Naive.

She has a greater sense of Justice than Scar ever did - and a matching sense of proportionality.  
People seem to hold against her that she was born into royalty - but so was Kovu, Simba, Scar and Mufasa.

Nor does she rub her supposed privilege in the faces of everyone she meets. Rather, she ponders the wisdom of choosing the path expected of you and the path one wants to take. She has the *most* agency of any character, refusing to accept destiny, and instead allowing people to chose their fates. She is, in this manner, the most free of all of the characters.

But despite this freedom, she always keeps to her responsibilities. She refuses to leave when she could help their families. She (later) appreciates her role was Heir, and learns the necessary lessons to rule with diligence and patience. She doesn't leave with Kovu even though she yearns to be with him - but still stakes her relationship with her family, and her place in their Pride by standing against her father when the Civil War reaches its peak.

She extends a paw of friendship, and forgiveness to her most desperate enemy. Asking nothing in return.  
She shows Mercy.

Mercy.

That trait, that even today, seems so... so void from the world.  
We herald Forgiveness as the primary attribute of our belief systems.  
We depict it as the ultimate honour, the greatest trait one can have.

And when we see it?  
We ridicule it as weakness.  
We are encouraged, as a society, to *go for the throat*.  
To sue. To squeeze. To demand what is OWED us at every opportunity.

We often turn away from those indeed, because it inconveniences us. We deal with social problems, by pretending they don't exist.

People often ask, in a given situation: What would (Insert Deity of choice here).  
Unless the Deity is Yog Soggoth, Lurker at the Threshold and Opener of the Way you can imagine. But ask yourself. How much kinder, how much *greater* would the world be, if we all lived by Kiara's example?

Mercy. Charity. Compassion. A heartfelt, and true, desire for _Peace._

And compare, to a world lived around the Values of the Outlanders?

You say to me, that Kiara's values, they are incompatible with the world.  
But thats only true, so long as the world doesn't change.  
And Kiara proved, that sometimes, it only takes one, to change the world.

If that doesn't convince you? Consider this.

Kulana grew up in misery _with _Kovu. She's dangerous. Wild. Aggressive and strong. Kulana is Everything Kovu is. This is true.

But Kiara? She is is everything Kovu _aspires to be.  
_Everything he wants his children to emulate. 

Which would you fall in love with?

The person most like the person you are? Or the person most like the person you want to be?

* * *

**This Q/A will let me set a few things straight and clarify some things that appear to have been forgotten.**  
**I know there are some fics out there that romanticise Scar, and villainise Mufasa.**

**This is not one of those fics.**

**The intention of Judgement, was to show another side to Scar. A history. But this doesn't override or replace the side to Scar we _know _from the movie, nor erase the actions we see in the movie.**

**He was a bully. A coward. Cruel, petty, greedy and selfish.**

**His positive traits don't cancel out those.**

**Hitler revitalised Germany's economy. Stalin helped bring the end to one of the greatest threats to the world, ever unleashed.**

**They were monsters, nevertheless.**

**Scar fits into this vien.**

**This is how he has been portrayed in this series.**  
**This is how he _was _in this series.**

**I am aware there are series where this isn't the case, but it is very… odd… to see Scar as a hero.**  
**A Tragic Villain, perhaps. But undeniably a villain.**

**So, here are a few questions, I would like to address. I've given a fair bit of thought to some of the AU,**

**_what might have been, _under certain conditions, and I can tell you!  
**

* * *

**Scar's rule was ruthless, but fair:**

Well. Not really.  
I am not really sure why people think this, given how Judgement depicted this.**  
**Let us not forget, that although Kulana, Vitani, Kovu and Zira _believe _themselves, to be unjustly persecuted by Simba, this is only _their _side of the story. The Outlanders were cruel, treacherous, and selfish people. They sided with Scar, not because he was the better King, or because he was the rightful king, but because they personally benefited under Scar's rule.

This cannot be ignored, nor easily forgiven.

As established in Judgement, resources during his reign were scarce.

(Any anyone who thinks this wasn't Scar's fault, needs to reread Judgement. It is explained clearly that Scar bares much responsibility for the state of the Kingdom, owing to his catastrophic policy choices, to the point that his actions warped reality itself.)

Rather than attempt to adjust his behaviour to fix this problem, he instead took advantage of it, and controlled the intake of food and water among the Pridelanders, dividing it as he saw fit. This was why he was able to stay in power for so long. With the Hyenas as his enforcers, political agitators, such as Sarafina, Nala, Sarabi, and Almasi, were punished for their insubordination, and sedition. (Note, insubordination of the exact kind Kulana did, when she criticised Zira's rule).  
His rule was a totalitarian dictatorship of the worst kind.

So much as suggesting to Scar that his decrees were wrong, or that he was making a mistake, warranted excessive punishment. And to suggest that to exercise his power in this way was an abuse of his power, warranted even more excessive punishment.

* * *

**Just because Scar was cruel, doesn't mean the Outlanders were!**

Well. Some were. Remember, even though as far as they were concerned, Scar was the rightful ruler, they benefited from his rule. The Outlanders used this situation to their advantage. The Outlanders are the ones who benefited on under this system. They bowed to Scar's wishes, and reaped the rewards. They stayed silent when Scar abused his power, and didn't object when he endangered his Pride. The Pridelands cannot support Hyenas who hunt to excess and do not share their kills – which was exactly what they did. Scar's own arrogance and hubris, and willfull blindness and favouritism, lead to destruction, and the Outlanders are the people who supported this for their own benefit.

When Simba returned, they sided AGAINST the King.

Simba's life wasn't pampered, or arrogant. He was a child, traumatised, exiled, homesick, grieving, and left to fend for himself on a diet of insects, with a pair of animals who, while well meaning, were the antithesis of everything he had been taught to value.

* * *

**Scar wasn't all bad!**

Well… Actually he was pretty bad.

His mother is killed when he is young, via what is plainly a tragic accident. It was unforeseeable and unpreventable. In his grief, he blames his own father. (He isn't excused by the fact that Ahadi makes the same mistake). Then he tries to _MURDER _his father, and take the crown by force (Who Ahadi's heir would be prior to this point is unknown, but since Mufasa is the older, he basically nearly denies his brother his rightful inheritance.

Upon the murder of his Son, he tortured innocent Wilddogs for information, then uses it to hunt down the appropriate killers. _Then wants to wipe out every other wilddog from Africa._

When Simba is born, he is _so _pissed off, that he plots to have the child murdered. For no good reason, other than he thinks he would make a better king. He's never _met _the cub at this point. He has no justification for believing he'd make a better king, then the fact that he _really really _wants the crown.

To reiterate, he sees it as the cause of his suffering, and to be denied it, would make that suffering meaningless.

But he is wrong.

It isn't his crown that gives his suffering meaning. It his family.  
But he doesn't see that. Gradually, over the course of the series, he sacrifices more and more of his family for the sake of the Crown. He chooses the crown _over _his family. And it costs him. He loses his father, his brother, his nephew. The loss of his mother and son, which should have made him value his family more, only drove him away.

* * *

**Scar was a better King than Mufasa!**

No. This is categorically wrong in this fic. His rule was disastrous. Scar could have been the nicest lion in the world, and made a poor King. He wasn't. He was a poor King, and also horrendously flawed in many ways. Sorry.

For evidence:

See the Kingdom under Mufasa.

See the Kingdom under Scar.

It's pretty conclusive in the films, and this stands in this universe.

Scar made horrific mistakes as King. Mufasa _did not._

* * *

**Scar bridged the gap between Lion and Hyena:**

Perhaps.

He did value his friendship with the Hyena Trio. But remember, this started out as a way to spite Ahadi.

And while he did care for his friends, up until he was King, once he _became _king, his change in attitude and values lead him to discard them as soon as they were worthless to him, betraying them. He had no real care for the _other _hyenas, apart from the fact that they were convenient.

He stabs them in the back, proving that – at least by his death – he didn't really have these beliefs or values, and was lying through his teeth, something he does a lot.

In using the hyenas as an army of enforcers, to restrict the food and water intake of treasonous lionesses, and in showing blatent favouritism to them in terms of food allocation, resulting the starvation of several lionesses, he actually did much much more to damage Hyena-Lion Relations.  
Remember, he tried to have them kill Simba and Nala as Cubs – which would have resulted in violent reprisals from the lions, and even after his defeat, it still takes a lot of a hyena to trust a lion.

* * *

**Scar was a brave lion!**

Sure, he had brave moments, like any of us do.  
But to call his bravery a notable trait is a little much. Remember, that One of Scar's weaknesses, was that he was ultimately, very cowardly. He only fought weaker opponents, unless driven to anger to intense, it overrode his self-preservation. He fought with guile, intelligence, and treachery, because he was frightened to win in a duel. Cruelty is ultimately the mark of a coward, and we know he was cruel.

* * *

**On Scar and his sense of Justice:**

Actually, Scar wanted the universe to be _fair. _But life isn't fair. When it comes to Justice, he has a terrible track record.

He admits he'd be prepared for Ahadi to kill a pair of exiled Hyenas, _apart from the fact he knew it would piss of Ahadi if he intervened._ Were it not for this, he'd have let them die.

When he fails to defeat his father honourably, he thinks nothing of plotting to have him murdered instead.

He murders his father in cold blood as he was begging for forgiveness.

He tortures half a dozen wilddogs who had nothing to do with his son's death.  
He tries to murder potentially hundreds more wilddogs who had nothing to do with his son's death.

He murders his brother in cold blood, so that he can be king – and taunts him as he does so.

He tries to have his brother's perfectly innocent _CHILD _murdered, so he can be king.  
He psychologically abuses said child into believing it was _his fault _for no other reason than to taunt the child he is about to kill _within the next few seconds_.

His twisting of the Circle of Life lead to the famine, as nature rebels against his corruption.

When his own sources of water run out (Due to over use from the Hyenas he cannot control), he attempts to bully the River Lords into letting them access to _their _territory. Then starts a fight upon the slightest disrespect, getting his friends killed.

He brutally punishes anyone who criticises this course of action, assaulting them personally in some cases.

He brutally _murders _his most outspoken critics under the guise of _executions _for minor offenses, spreading fear and helping him keep tight grip on his servants.

When Simba returns, he attempts to hold onto his power via military might, and threatens to unlawfully execute anyone who doesn't support his illicit reign.

Stabs in the back the hyenas who served him, to try and lie his way out of _justice._

Survives his duel with Simba, accepts the offered mercy only to try a dirty trick which backfires getting him killed.  
When it comes to _real_ justice he has a poor record.

* * *

**Mufasa as a weak-willed King:**

This is my most confusing issue.  
Scar believes his brother to be weak-willed, and worthless as king. This is his justification.  
But this view, isn't true. Nor is it substantiated in reality.  
What is happening here, is Scar is beginning to value his crown _over _his brother. He rationalises this, as his brother _losing _value as a king. But in reality, it is his greedy increasing, and his love for his brother failing, which causes this. Not anything his brother does.

The cause of this greed is _tragic _yes. But that doesn't excuse it.  
It only makes the reader _pity _Scar. Not sympathise with im.

Why is this plainly wrong? Because, Mufasa was a very strong willed King, who practically invaded the Shadowlands to rescue his son, who reigned with wisdom and strength for years, keeping the Circle of Life. He refused to allow Scar to _torture _innocent wilddogs who had nothing to do with Kira's death. He also refused to support _Genocide. _Which, I ought not to need remind you, is a _terrible _thing.

What Scar is proposing, is a mass murder on the scale of the genocide of the Native Americans! Most of the _Shai'tan_ would balk at that idea!

And despite Scar's assertions, he wouldn't have changed his mind if it were Simba who was killed. He would have grieved, but he would have remained a wise king. He wouldn't punish the innocent with the guilty, as Scar did.  
Scar calls him "Weakwilled" Because as far as he is concerned, Mufasa isn't Ruthless enough. But Scar only wants mass murder in vengeance.  
Mufasa is level headed, wise, and respects the rule of law, and justice. Scar has already punished the guilty ones. He just wants _more blood. _Why? He is grieving. He is in pain. But why does he want others to suffer because this? Ultimately, because Scar is weak. He is Cruel. Were he not, he would handle his grief in less destructive ways, like you, or I would. But he isn't capable of this.

You only have Scars word that Mufasa was a weak king. Nothing he did fits this description. He was a good king.

* * *

**Simba was an emotionally unstable King:  
**This also confuses me.  
In this Fic, Simba was a wise and benevolent King.

What are you basing this on? Sure, he wasn't trained from birth to be king, and he certainly suffers from self-doubt. But this is a trait of Simba's – a leftover from his exile. Not a weakness.

Remember, he _Like Danyal _was raised in exile, scraping enough food to survive. He had the company of a warthog and a meerkat. But he had to learn to hunt alone, had to learn to survive in the wilds, had to learn to fight.

He would have faced death were he to return to his uncle's kingdom, and was also laden with the emotional burden of falsely believing himself to be responsible for his own beloved father's death.

Scar's betrayal is a personal stab in the back for him – for Simba always loved his uncle prior to his uncle trying to have him killed.

And speaking of "The Mad King."

For his supposed instability, are you honestly saying that he is more than Scar?

Consider the following: That Scar wanted, no, _demanded_ the genocide of the wilddog species for killing his unborn Son.

Every time Scar was hit by a tragedy, he lashes out at the world, and makes it worse.

Simba, by comparison, finds solace, and hope in his friends and family. He survives, and ultimately becomes a better person the experience. Scar _DEGENERATES _with each tragedy.

Which makes Zira's mantra – the Pain leads to Strengh – ironic. Because Pain was what eroded Scar's strength. Scar became weaker with each tragerdy, eventually becoming a monster.

* * *

**The Pridelanders were weak, pampered fools!**

What gave you this idea? Oh. The fact that the Outsiders consider them such?  
Bare in mind that the Outlander's entire motivation is to _return _to this lifestyle. They hate the suffering they endure. They hate the struggling for food, for water. They are hypocrits, because they mock the Pridelanders for comforts they so desperately want.

The irony is that the Pridelanders are in reality fierce warriors, who siomply have a better understanding of the ecosystem and circle of life than the Outlanders, who are more of the "Cake and eat it" type.  
In a sense, they are the sort of people who would plunder an ecosystem for short term gain.  
Is such short sightedness really a detractor?  
What about a love for the rule of law?

A desire to see their Pridesisters protected from the whims of a mad king?

A desire to see _real _justice, not just what Scar feels like at the time?

Equal distribution of food and water – with provision for those who needed it?

What have the Pridelanders really _done.  
Cite me a single piece of evidence that the Pridelanders are weak._

_Show me a piece of evidence that – had Scar not murdered his brother – things would have gone down hill?_

The division of the Pride is certainly Scar's fault.

Would the Imperium still have invaded?

Possibly. Probably.

But they would have been far better prepared for it than they were in _this _time line. That much is canon.

* * *

**Simba was unjust! The Outlanders were perfectly innocent!**

Simba exiled dangerous supporters of the lion who murdered his father before his eyes, and openly wanted him and his family dead. A Key part of his character is that he is unwilling to see these traitors as anything _but _traitors. Initially.

Kiara sees that – though the Outlanders were supporters of Scar, though they made terrible decisions, though they made hideous choices that were wrong, even cruel, people are worthy of a Second chance. A chance to fix what they did wrong.

Simba in a sense, is just – but also ruthless. He doesn't give second chances. He doesn't show weakness. His decrees are followed.

But Kiara shows him that he isn't following his father's way in this manner. Nor is he supposed to.

With the Outlander threat, he was protective of his Daughter, by keeping her close to friends who – it is revealed – masked her scent, and made her impossible to assassinate. Note that this was the correct thing to do, because Vitani confirms they _were _looking for Kiara. Had the opportunity presented itself, they'd have murdered her there and then.  
Simba reigns with Wisdom, correctly guessing that Kovu wanted him dead, correctly guessing that he would try to get close to him through his daughter.  
When Kovu has a change of heart, Simba doesn't believe him – because he hasn't seen any evidence of this. As soon as he sees _proof _of Kovu's change of heart, he accepts him as a son in law, despite his past crimes. We sympathise with the Outlanders, because we know that they are capable of good. But none of them _show _this fact until much later in this universe's timeline. Indeed, many don't know themselves.

* * *

**Would Simba have accepted the Outlanders if they wanted peace?**

Yes. We know he would have, because that's what he did. If he were so blindly angry, he wouldn't have made peace in LKII, even with his daughter's encouragement. He wouldn't have been happy about it, at first. It would have taken a lot for him to forgive the people who _murdered _his father. But Mufasa was capable of forgiveness. So would Simba. Bryan Fury's is incorrect in this regard. Sorry.

* * *

"**Scar and Zira became a cynical, heavy-handed, and relentless leaders because they saw the world for what it really was".**

Thats a direct quote here.

Man.

This is… Concerning.

Does this apply to Hitler? Saddam Hussein? Stalin? Sauron? Voldemort, or Ben-Kai-Ra?  
They didn't see the world as it was.  
The world is beautiful place, with good people in. That is the truth. For all the misery in the world, sentient life is still somehow quintessentially good and intricately values.  
The Pridelands are a paradise.

Think on this fact:  
Sarabi suffered the same tragedies that Scar faced. And More. She lost her best friend, and her mate as well. And she didn't become jaded, cruel, or cowardly.  
Scar made all the wrong choices. He suffered – and made his own suffering worse.  
Scar did endure a lot.  
But his world view? That the world was a wicked and evil place? That you needed to be ruthless to survive? He was ruthless. And it didn't help his family. He wasn't some scapegoat. He wasn't a guiltless victim. He suffered losses that hurt him – and in his pain, he hurt those around him. A basic reading of Judgement illustrates this. His treatment of Simba was inexcusable. His brutalisation of Sarabi – for no real purpose – was wrong. His murder of the lionesses that disagreed with him. His wilful and deliberate use of the hyenas as enforcers was immoral.

Yes, he lost his Son.

But ultimately, his "redemption" wasn't from the fact that he was sinless – but from his desire to make amends for those sins, and his guilt over his actions.

Him being guiltless, blameless? Completely undermines that ending.

There are… a number of readers… who seem to believe that this sort of behaviour was acceptable, because the alternative was a lack of respect. I politely remind you that Mufasa had the respect of his species without resorting to such methods.

* * *

**Zira should have continued Scar's legacy. She should have been Queen, instead of Simba being King:**

You've seen Zira as a Queen. She was dreadful. Even Scar was horrified when he saw her future.  
When Scar died, everything good in Zira died with her. She was a monster during LKII, and it was only after her stay in Golgorath, that she began to change for the better. She tortured, hurt, and brutalised her way in power. Abused her own lionesses, and placed them in constant danger.  
She _could _have made peace with Simba. Or _importantly _she could have left in search of other lands where they could have survived (Which, by the way, is what Simba intended for them to do. He didn't expect her to reamin in the Outlands. He expected her to _run away_ _and never return._) The starvation of the lions is on Zira – not Simba.

* * *

**Would Kiara have accepted Danyal, if she knew Kovu had fathered a Son?  
**It would have complicated things, certainly.

But actually, Kulana was mistaken about this.

If Kulana had told Kovu, Kiara wouldn't have given a damn who the child's father was, and probably would have served as something of an adopted mother to Danyal.

We know from her interaction with Kovu that Kiara brings out the best in people, and has a knack for seeing them as they are. What some call her naivety, is her optimism in others, and it is that optimism that gave her the courage to marry someone who was trained from Birth to murder them.

She taught Kovu to feel again – something Kulana wasn't able to do. Despite her best efforts, Kovu was beginning to fall to Zira's brainwashing, as we see from his violent attitude to Simba.

Kiara was able to break him out of this, and saw the Unity in the Pride.  
She was able to singlehandedly resolve a generation's long war, repairing much of the damage that had been done to the Pride, and to the Circle of Life.

Given we know this about Kiara, it is very hard to believe that she would have treated Danyal with anything but kindness.  
How could the lionesses who offered _Zira _the paw of friendship, forgiveness, and unconditional mercy, bring wrath or hatred upon a defenceless blameless child?

She wouldn't have.  
Like she had once done to Kovu, she would have done to Danyal. Regardless of his background, his history, or his supposed destiny, she'd have helped him become the lion he was _inside. _In this Universe, Danyal would have known his father, and been a real brother to Kiava. It wouldn't have divided the Pride any more than it was already – though it is more likely _Danyal _would have been the target of Sabini's abuse, rather than Kovu – since Kovu would be far more inclined to deal with threats to his Son, then threats to himself, it would have been dealt with sooner. Danyal would have been raised in a much happier environment.

Kulana was tragically mistaken in her prediction as to what would happen, and overly pessimistic.

Now _Zira _on the other paw, would have tried – and succeeded – in murdering Danyal not long after being born.

She wouldn't have wanted to lose a lioness like Kulana – so exiling her wouldn't be an option.

She would still have been threatened by Danyal though – wether she knew his identy or not, since she would believe him destined to grow up to being a dangerous rouge like Najisi – or worse, to overthrow his father, as Scar had once overthrown his.

Kulana of course, didn't _known _this, and chose not to take the risks. But it does make her death more tragic don't you think?

* * *

**So Is Danyal a Prince now?**

Sort of.

He's clearly of Royal Blood. (Didn't everyone remark how he looked regal, and had the build of the old Lion Kings? Indeed, how he reminded even Vitani of Kovu when they decided to pretend he was Kiava?)

But, Succession is a complicated business.

Since Kovu didn't _inherit _the Crown, he married into it, his _blood _isn't what confers Royalty.

It is only the children of _Kiara _who have a claim (since she inherited it).

That's how inheritance works.

If _Kiara _had an older bastard child, that child would be the heir – but it is Simba's royal blood that brings with it the Crown. Not Scar's.

This is why Vitani is Regent, and has not claimed the title Queen in Kiava's absence.

Danyal is in line to the throne, though he would only be King only if Kiava, and all _his_ heirs were dead. In which case, every royal descendant from Mufasa is dead. So it is _then _Taka's line who has a claim.

So it would pass to Kira, and _his_ offspring, (of which there are none), then _Nuka, _then Vitani, would have claim before him, since she was older.

(Adoption and Bastards and Females all have claim – no realworld restrictions apply here.)

Only in the event of Vitani, Kiava's, and all of their heirs, would Danyal have a claim to the Pridelands Throne. This puts him _Fourth _in line to the Throne as things stand.  
This is the same as in real life. If (By some weird twist of fate) I were to marry a Princess, my children with her, would be heirs to said Princess' throne.  
Any Pre-existing children, and any children I had with other women after this point, would not be heirs.  
This is the same rule.

Of course, in British History, people _other _than the direct heirs have inherited with popular support. Bastard children could be legitimized, and cousins could claim a better claim. So, in the absence of Kiava, someone could make the argument that Danyal should inherit.  
But it wouldn't be supported by Prideland Law.

* * *

**If Scar had been King, instead of Simba, they'd have survived the Imperium!**

Unfortunately no. The Shai'tan would have recruited allies in the form of the Wilddogs, like they did in this universe. The Prideland would be crippled, and broken, as we saw in the Movie (Remember when Simba arrives to find the lands destroyed?). The Shai'tan would have destroyed the Pridelands with ease.

Notably, the Shaman would _NEVER _work with someone like Scar, and Marsade would have destroyed the Pridelands unopposed, Rafiki long since leaving the Pridelands, and the final conflict would take place in the Frontier Lands of the Imperium, where Yessen tried, and failed to fight Marsade alone.

* * *

**If Zira had won, and Kovu was King, having defeated Simba, and the Outlanders had destroyed the Pridelanders, they'd have survived the Imperium!  
**With Sabini's rebellion, about 4/5s to 2/3s of the Pridelanders remained at Pride Rock.

If Kovu lead an attack and defeated Pride Rock, every Pridelanders, would die. That's about 50% of the lions Simba had in _this _universe. That's even assuming that Kovu suffered NO CASUALIES. Which is unlikely. Even if Vitani's claim is right, and an Outlander is worth 3 Pridelanders, At 3-1 casualties, that still leaves Kovu with a Pride approximately, 29% the size of the one the Imperium destroyed in THIS Universe.  
That's about 8 lions in total.  
Also, since Almasi was a Pridelander, that means no Inti, or Sara in this universe. So the Harrowing of Golgorath would never have taken place.

* * *

**But wouldn't the Outlanders have been better fighters?**

Apart from Zira, _EVERY lioness who _joined the Outlanders, joins the renified Pride unider Kiara and Kovu. So Kovu doesn't have _any _fighters he would have not already had in _this _universe.

Trust me.  
There was no way things would have been better under Scar, or his followers.

* * *

"**Kulana and Kovu's bond was most definitely a far stronger one than that between Kiara and Kovu."**

I explicitly said this was not the case. Kulana _wasn't _in love with Kovu. Kovu _wasn't _love with Kulana. This needs to be clear.  
He was _in love _with Kiara – the lioness who helped undo what Zira had done to him. The one who taught him to _hope _again. To enjoy life. Kulana was a way to _deal _with life. A way to _survive. _Not to make life worth living.

* * *

**So we know who Danyal's Father is. Who are Sara's, Inti's and Zuri's? Simba and Kovu wouldn't father cubs from another male**

Well, we know who Inti's and Sara's father is. It's discussed by Almasi and Sara at length.

Zuri was born in a similar situation.

What gave you the idea that Kovu or Simba fathered those cubs? They didn't. The three girls grew up in _single_ _families. _Kovu and Simba never acted as Father figures to them. However, despite this, they _did _have the appropriate marriage rites performs. (What these are and how these affect couples in the Pridelands will be discerned soon).

* * *

**Wait. So Inti and Danyal were both males born of Rouges? Why did Danyal have such a harder time than Inti then?**

Well, firstly, Inti had a mother to ensure he grew in such a way that would be accepted by the Pride.

Danyal had a few surrogates, but very few actual parental relationships – though his relationship with Almasi has improved over the last few books.

The Key thing though, is that Almasi's mate was known the Pride. She was mated _before _the Pride. Meaning they were witnesses to her Mating Rites. It's something presided over by a King or Shaman, and it something akin to a wedding or union.

Although you will note that in the period of Judgement, the more ceremonial Mating Rites (Though simplified, unions did exist) they were rare for couples not within the royal family, and by tradition they required the permission of the King (Though this was rarely denied), to be performed.

In either case rouges wouldbe _known_ to the Pride, _prior _to mating with a sister.

* * *

**Tell me about these **_**Mating Rites?**_

You'll see some of these soon – probably early on in Book V.

But here is a pick run down. A lioness thinking of mating with a rouge would introduce the rouge to their Pride, originating as a method to persuade them that the rouge was no threat to them – and therefore that their potential offspring were welcome in the Pride (though it evolved into something more like a social event). Even in the event that the rouges didn't join the pride (Most likely. Most Rouges stayed Rouges.), some rouges would make regular returns to the Pridelands to see their children and former mates. Others would be welcomed into the Pride as part of their mating rites. I hesitate to use the word _wedding _but it's that sort of ceremony.

The practice was much less formal with the older Kings as attitudes to Rouge Lions became more liberal, and inclusive, but during Scar's reign, they made something of a comeback – since they allowed Scar additional control over his people. He would be wary of allowing the offspring of the It would be rare for a cub to be fathered in secret.

Inti, like Danyal, was fathered by a rouge lion, but Danyal was fathered by a _Rouge. _With a capital R. There was a distinction. In Inti's case, the term applied to the fact that the father was not a permanent fixture of their family unit. But in Danyal's case, it meant that his father was violent, potentially dangerous.  
And there is always a fear that such traits would be passed to his offspring.  
The cubs born of rape in the Lion King Universe have something of a hard time over this. It's grim – but our world has grim social attitudes too, and the Pridelands are no different.

Prior to Inti's birth, the Pride knew his father. Not well – but well enough not to think him a threat.

Because Inti's father was known and accepted by the Pridelanders prior to him being born, there was no stigma attached to Inti. In Danyal's case? He was born in the wilds, apart from _civilized _company. There is no knowledge as to who his father is – so it is generally assumed that he was _Not _the sort of Rouge accepted to the Pridelands.  
Not all Rouges are like Ni, and Salim. Some are lone wanderers yes, both others are violent, conquering warriors.

Danyal had some stigma from some of the less tolerant Pridesisters, because they had no idea of who his father was – and assumed, perhaps with some justification – that he was born of Najisi, or someone like him.

You'll get to see the Marriage rites of the lions in the Pridelands are slanted against the male, in this respect. They evolved from something akin to a vetting procedure to ensure that the offspring were _safe _to be around.

Its complete nonsense of course. Just as some of the social attitudes in our world are nonsense. But they are important to those who practice them.

* * *

**So… You've established Scar wasn't a great person, but is it really fair to blame him for the fall of the Pridelands?**

You're looking at this from the perspective of someone who knows the ins and outs of the Imperium. Remember that the Pridelanders don't know entirely the full story.

I can clear this up:

Yes, Scar's actions did have a huge effect on the fall of the Pridelands.

Were the Imperium to fight a united Pridelands, under Mufasa? Or Ahadi? Or even under Kiara, _without _the destabilization within the Pride, they would have lasted much longer. Probably injured, or even killed Rish'ut or Sekmet there and then.

Sure, they wouldn't have survived in the long run. But they'd have fought more – and more would have escaped. They'd have lasted much longer. And it was the speed at which the Pridelands fell which really cemented their rule. They were able to crush the pockets of resistance within the Pridelands, whilst everyone was panicking and confused. It's probable that the cheetahs, leopards, and others in the Pridelands who are no allied with Kiava, would have allied with the Pridelands.

Yeah, its not great odds.

But they'd be better odds than Kiava is presently facing. A similar situation, with more alive and about.

And whilst Scar wasn't directly responsible for Ben-Kai-Ra's decision to attack the Pridelands (His _real _motivations for doing so will soon be revealed.)  
However, you are gullible if you _truly _believe that Ben-Kai-Ra conquered half the world, and attacked the Pridelands _just _to reclaim the honor of his ancestors, and restore themselves to the top of the food chain? _They were_ at the top in the Old Imperium, remember?

* * *

**Shien and Kai remind me of Scar!**

Now now now.

You've seen a little of what drove Shein to do what he did.  
You have seen _nothing _beyond other people's speculation, as to _why _he acts as he does. There is FAR more to his motivation then you know, or indeed, _anyone, _even the other Shai'tan, know.

* * *

**Chapter 24: Leopard Spots**

* * *

Mortread, made his way through the Outlands. Marsade had disappeared again without warning, as was the orangutan's irritating habit. Mortread seethed privately, allowing his eyes to drfit towards the various termite mounds that surrounded their encampment. One he knew contained the captured lions. Various others were dens for the wilddogs under his command. And another was his own den. He preferred the company of the canines. They knew their place. They could function as pack. And they knew the terrain and layout of the Pridelands better than any soldiers imported from the eastern territories of the Imperium. But none of these qualities made him prepared to share a den with them.

He ignored these however, and moved to the most heavily guarded of the spires. A pair of Jackals guarded entrance, and they stamped their feet in salute as he passed. He ignored them. Inside the termite mound, lay the object of his broodings. A tear in the fabric of space. A Gateway. This one was permanently open (hence the constant guard) and he stood before it for a moment. Before passing through. The sensation was like emerging from warm water into cold air, but the disorientation lasted only for a moment. Then, his paw touched the ground and he emerged, half way around the world. An evening sun dimmed the sky in this part of the world. He looked around briefly, recognising the native plants and trees of his own home. They were deep in the Jungle of the Imperium, rich, verdant green leaves towering into the sky, forming a high canopy above them. The ground beneath his foot was damp and the air humid and fresh. So unlike the Outlands.

Around him, several creatures stepped back in alarm.

"My Lord Mortread! I wasn't aware of your –" It was a Jaguar, one of Leviath's. He was staring at Mortread in surprise. On catching his gaze he quickly bowed his head in submission.

"**No matter."** Mortread interrupted to quash further speaking. He had no time for the prattling of servants here. He looked around. He was in the middle of a small clearing of trees, standing in front of one now. Behind him, the Gateway through which he had emerged shimmered and pulsated. Distantly beyond it, he could see the morning sun of the Outlands shining high in the sky. He could even feel its heat _through _the gateway. Indeed, he cast two shadows. Two shadows cast by the same Sun. Marsade – for all his faults – was a great gift to the Imperium.

"**I require a meeting to speak to Leviath."** Mortread told the Jaguar shortly. The Jaguar looked around in alarm.

"I… Well… Begging your Pardon my Lord, but Marsade isn't with us at the moment. The Gateway to the Outlands will open shortly however. It is approaching midday." He said. Mortread nodded and waited silently.

Many of the Gateways, especially those to small locations, outposts, and encampments on the outskirts of the Shai'tan's power were open all of the time. But many fluctuated as time passed. Some were only open in the mornings, some the evenings, and some only at specific points. Marsade could of course open sealed Gateways wherever he chose, or even create new ones on the spot, but ever since the discovery that the Rebels could reopened sealed Gateways, it had become imperial policy to guard Gateways at specific locations. Importantly, many key Location were linked by a secondary location. One would no longer travel to the Heart of the Imperium, Shein's Spear (or its ruins), Golgorath, Leviath's Stronghold or any of the Shai'tan's base of operations without passing through a heavily guarded, fortified location.

Such as the area he now found himself in.

This one was the largest. The Nexus, they called it. Two dozen Gateways, though they were never open at once all the time. He wasn't certain of its exact location – somewhere remote in Asiatica, sufficiently far from the Heart of the Imperium to render it secure. The Rebels would not use their ability to pick open sealed Gateways to attack the Shai'tan. No. If they wanted to make use of Gateways in their foolish resistance to the Emperor's rule, they would have to create whole Gateways of their own. With all the risks that entailed. Other Gateways pulsed around him. Occasionally someone would emerge. A scout or messenger perhaps. Spies and lurkers. And then be on their way through another Gateway. Some lead to other collections of Gateways, similar, yet smaller than the Nexus. They had been constructed to Leviath's exacting specifications, by an irritable Marsade. Mortread was certain that there were other networks of Gateways, some not even linked to these. Secret and hidden, opening only for a few moments at irregular intervals, allowing Leviath's spies to move unseen and untracked all over the Imperium. But it was to her he now travelled. Of all the Shai'tan, she would know best what to do with the information that he had gathered from the captured lions.

Then he saw them.

Etched into the ground, were… symbols. Glyphs. Shapes, hewn into the rock.

They twisted and spiralled, and seemed to come alive. Then, slowly at first, they began to glow with a faint red light.

They glowed softly. Something seemed to leak out of them. Something dark, and sticky and…

Mortread sighed.

Did Marsade ever grow tired of his gruesome flair for the dramatic?

It seemed not, and he backed up as the unmistaken pungent odour of blood hit his nostrils.

This was powerful magic.

Marsade had syphoned off parts of his magic, the circle of runes entrapping the arcane power… Until it was needed. Then, directed by the same glyphs that encircled it, the magic would – like the flow of water directed by the banks of a river – it would create whatever mystic alteration to the world that was desired.

The glyphs entrapped the magic. And channelled it.

And though they drew from the Shaman? The process was automatic - decided by the movements of teh stars, or the moon, or even the globe as it whirled through the void of space. Some other mechanism, determined and detailed in the ethereal, unholy glyphs before him. And Marsade was nowhere in sight.

* * *

After waiting a further short time, a Gateway in front of him roared into glorious existence. The Jaguar nodded his head in respect, and Mortread left him, passing back into the Outlands. He had travelled from one part of the Outlands, to the other, by way of Asiatica, in the span of a few minutes. The Gateway behind him remained open, and would remain so for a while. The high imposing tower of Golgorath speared into the sky in front of him. And he walked to its entrance, brooding as he did so. He moved down the twisting, writhing, labyrinthine tunnels, heading further below the earth's surface, to the darker caverns. Past the former cells, which now remained empty and dark. The tower was silent. Under Rish'ut's rule, the Black Tower had been bustling, busy, and loud with the chatter of the Shai'tan's forces. Not just wilddogs, but wolves, leopards, cheetahs, and others, foreign to the Pridelands but arriving in droves via gateways. Now it was quiet. The Emperor had considered Rish'ut's method of ruling frivolous and petty, almost childish. There were no more Games in Golgorath.

He passed through the tunnels and found himself at the bottom most level, at the entrance to a cave. He recognised it. The Oracle's Cell. Where Zira had been kept and tortured for information. It had been here where plans to attack the Pridelands were drawn up. Where she had finaly, after months of pain, betrayed the Pridelands. Here, were they schemed and planned to fracture the Pridelands.

What other place would Leviath have taken for her den? (For all of the surviving Shai'tan had semi-permanent dens in Golgorath as the war with Kiava's Rebellion escalated.) What better place for the Spymistress of the Shai'tan, then this dismal den of secrets and plots, where Zira herself had been imprisoned? It was dark, even for Golgorath and it took a moment to adjust to the gloom, but Leviath wasn't attempting to hiding. What caught him off guard were the three other pairs of eyes he saw. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out their shapes, and raised his eyebrows.

"**Grey Wolves."** He saw. The three wolves bowed their heads at his presence, though he knew their loyalty was to their mistress. There were similar species in Africa, but none as powerful or as large as the creatures he saw. In Africa, the wolves kept mostly to themselves. In the Frontier Lands, they were the pinnacle of the lands hierarchy.

"**_Mortread."_** She said giving a smile. **_"What a pleasant surprise. Have you encountered my companions, before? Their names are Ironfang, Stoneclaw and Nighteye."_** Leviath said. Mortread gave a wary look. The Wolves didn't fall back, or fail to meet his eye. It was not their custom. They stared at him, in eyes of blue, green and gold.

"**_We owe them and their families our continued control of the northern frontiers of the Imperium." _**Leviath continued.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Mortread." Nighteye said. Of the three wolves, his was the darkest coat. The other wolves were silent, and only watched him intently. For a moment, Mortread wondered if their expressions were intended as impertinent, if unsubtle challenge. They stared at him with unblinking eyes.

"**I... Greetings." **Mortread said, momentarily taken aback. Niceties observed, the wolf turned back to Leviath.

"I believe that is all, Mistress. The Great Packs intend to convene soon, to determine how many fighters can be spared without jeopardising your control of the north. You will have no shortage of volunteers. The Frontier still sing songs of your defeat of The _Ursa_, Ulysses, and his followers. Those who oppose you no longer voice their poisonous treason." He said. Mortread nodded in understanding. So that was it. These were the wolves who had inherited territories in the Northern Frontiers, after Leviath, Raeveal and Asamode had defeated the Great Bear, Ulysses, and those who had sided with him. With him had fallen the last guardian of the north, and the forests of the north formed the northern borders of the Imperium. This had been early in the Imperium's campaign, even before they had regularly made use of the Gateways, striking north of Asiatica from the Imperium. The Shai'tan had left soon after in search of New Conquests, striking further east and conquering the Far Continents not long after. Mortread had been positioned with Castella and Amun at the time, scouting for the future invasion of Oceanica. He had never met the trio of wolves, nor their predecessors. And what he saw impressed him. Hyenas he knew, could grow to large sizes, but the terrors of the Shadowlands kept the Clans small, fractured, and stunted. These creatures were great, powerful and majestic creatures. And dangerous. Leviath nodded in thanks.

"**_May Moonlight shine upon your enemies."_** She said as she left.

"And darkness cloak you from yours." He returned, bowing low. He nodded to Mortread, showing that he was included in the traditional farewell, and then turned, and left the cavern. Mortread watched them leave.

"**Impressive fighters."**

"**_And unlike your pet wilddogs, they have the minds to rule as well." _**She said, contemptuous of Mortread's favoured species. Mortread shrugged.

"**The wolves are few in number. You know how the Emperor feels about mixing the fighters from the lands we've conquered. In taking forces from one land, we risk ourselves to rebellion on two fronts. And our job is to supress this insurrection, not spread it."** Mortread said. Leviath snorted

"**_I am aware of the policy, Mortread, I helped set it. But I am sure it isn't for that purpose that you've come to visit me."_** Leviath reminded him. The tigress sat back. She didn't look surprised to see him– indeed, she looked as though she was expecting him. Like all of the Shai'tan, the tigress was powerful, and whilst not beautiful to look at (at least to his eye) she possessed an elegance and grace to her that wasn't common among her kind. She didn't brim with muscle and strength like Sekmet did. Her features were narrow and sharp, her stripes seems to curl and weave around her in intricate patterns. Her expression couldn't be called _warm _but it was familiar.

"**I came, My Lady Leviath-"** Mortread answered. She gave a delicate laugh.

"**_My young friend, we need not stand on ceremony. I was given to believe that you were hunting the rebels. I expected you to seek me out first, yet it is only after you've found them that you come before me."_** She said. Mortread shrugged.

"**I preferred to track them down myself, rather than rely on your spies."** He said.

"**_I am hurt." _**She said, in mock indignation. **_"Though I understand. You have a rare gift, Mortread."_** She said, referring to his tracking skills. It had surprised Mortead to lean that Leviath, for all her skills, was not especially gifted in the tracking side of espionage. Where her talents lay, were in stealth concealment, but most importantly, in her cunning mind. She was able to organise spies and scouts, able to keep track of every Gateway, and able to see patterns in other creatures movements to such a degree that she could sometimes predict their every move. Mortread shrugged away her flattery.

"**I** **have information that I judged you ought to be made aware of."** Mortread told her calmly. Leviath raised a dark eyebrow.

"**_Indeed? Do tell."_** She said, licking her lips, as if prepared to eat something delicious. Mortread hoped she _wasn't _hungry. For all her grace, she had the worst eating habits – including a taste for small furry mammals, eaten whole.

"**The rebels. We've been interrogating two of the captured lions."** He began.

"**_Two grown lions? _****Interrogated****_?"_** Her eyes narrowed.

"**Not grown. Juveniles." **Mortread admitted. Leviath gave a sound.

"**_Have you been picking up habits from Asamode? Or Rish'ut? Terrorising younglings was his affair. I don't care how you… entertain yourself… Spirits know Asamode has perverse enough pleasures. But you know as well as I do that information gained under torture is rarely useful. If it reliable we wouldn't need spies. I don't have a care for adolescents. They're worthless, especially if you've rendered any information they had unreliable by torturing them. Kill them, don't waste resources."_** Leviath said, dismissively, almost reproachfully. Mortread sighed, looking annoyed at the comparison to Asamode.

"**I would gladly, but they aren't worthless. The rebellion must be desperate, because he was one of the senior commanders. And Marsade has… techniques… methods… that made sure the information we received was reliable."** He told her. Leviath snorted.

"**_Indeed?"_**

"**Yes. We thought he was Kiava at first – all the rebels call him as such – but upon i****_nvestigation _****we uncovered the fact that Kiava is ****_not _****among them. He was an imposter. A figurehead, used by Vitani to manipulate her followers." **He told her. Leviath's eyes widened.

"**_Ingenious."_** She said. As one manipulator to another, it was acceptable to be impressed with Vitani's work. Already her mind was ticking away, incorporating this new information into what she knew. **_"And the real Kiava?"_** She asked cautiously.

"**He's been missing for some time. Even the rebels aren't sure where he is, ****_but _****that fact isn't widely known."** Mortread told her. Leviath nodded as much to herself as anyone.

"**_I see."_** She was quiet for a moment, in deep though**_. "I wonder where our missing Prince is then. Could he be dead?_**" She asked him.

"**Not by our paws."** Mortread answered honestly. **"Sekmet failed, and Rish'ut would have just loved to have been the one to find that whelp. Asamode, for all his oily slipperiness wouldn't kept it secret if he had killed Kiava. If Kiava is dead, then it wasn't us.**" He said. Leviath nodded.

"**_Agreed."_**

"**Do you have any clue as to where our missing Prince might be****_?"_** Mortread asked in calm frustration. Leviath hesitated.

"**_Perhaps. Between trying to stay on top of our control of the Imperial Frontiers, I have been investigating the happenings in the Shadowlands since Amun's death. I'd have expected some kind of response from the survivors of Amun's forces. Some would come crawling back."_**

"**Expected?"**

"**_Yes."_**

"**But…"** Mortread prompted her.

"**_But nothing. There are no signs of any survivors. You can count the survivors on a cub's clawtips. As far as we can tell, their defeat was almost absolute."_** She said quietly. Mortread looked up in shock.

"**Amun took the Jackals, correct?"** Mortread remembered.

"**_That is correct. While you were searching for Sekmet, he raised an army consisting of one of the wilddog packs, as well as many of the jackal families who sided with us."_**

"**Which of them would have taken command in the event of Amun's demise?"** Mortread asked. He didn't trust jackals. They could be faster and significantly smarter larger than wilddogs true, but they had a reputation for being lazy. And unlike their Hyena cousins, lacked the savagery that a life in the shadowlands afforded them. He had been grateful to Amun for taking them off his paws, since they also refused to obey orders from any wilddog, whom they regarded as an inferior species."

"**_Who knows? It's not something we were in a habit of planning for. Before Amun left, he requisitioned many of the Imperium's Serpents, as many as well could spare. Abyss went with him, and took with him the greater portion of the Serpent Tribes in Africa. Abyss would have taken command."_**

"**I remember the brute. Dirty big python. Largest I ever saw."** Mortread commented. Leviath smirked.

"**_You've never met Gaz'ul I trust. He's twice Abyss' length with a bite so strong he doesn't need venom to kill a creature in seconds. With Abyss dead, he will likely take command of this continent's snakes as well." _**Leviath said. Mortread blinked.

"**Dead?"**

"**_Indeed. As far as we can tell, all of Amun's forces have been exterminated. For all intents and purposes, the Shai'tan have been pushed back from the Shadowlands. We have no military presence there at all. Amun is dead, and his forces are no more."_** Leviath said. Mortread looked stunned. He had no idea losses in the Shadowlands had been so total, so absolute.

"**How is that even possible?"** He asked quietly.

"**_I am not sure."_** She admitted**_. "As you can imagine the Emperor is anxious to keep this version of events quiet. As far as we can tell, the Hyena clans have acquired themselves a new leader. And the usually isolationist Hyenas are fraternising with other species, and fortifying their borders."_** She said. Mortread gave a sly grin.

"**_You _****were the one who informed the Emperor that, ****_in your opinion, _****it was the Pridelanders who were the greater threat. ****_That _****was why we struck here first, and left the conquest of the Shadowlands. Having second thoughts now are we? I can't imagine that the Emperor will be pleased to hear you've… miscalculated." **He pointed out. Leviath gave a snarl.

"**_Well, there we have something in common. At least _****I****_ didn't let half the rebel's command escape from right under my nose and almost lose control of Golgorath!"_** Leviath spat, showing her anger for the first time. Mortread shook his head.

"**Now now. The Emperor agrees that it was Rish'ut who bore the brunt of the blame for that little escapade. An argument could be made that I did the best possible under such circumstances." **He said. Leviath made a retching sound.

"**_Oh, I _****bet****_. I am sure with her Highness whispering in the Emperor's ear on your behalf, he is more than happy to accommodate that argument. And give you a second chance." _**Leviath bristled. Mortread tensed.

"**What are you implying?"** he asked her.

"**_Please, Mortread. We've known each other, what, three years? Long before the Shai'tan arose from the ashes of the Imperium. You should know better than to try to keep secrets from me. They are my specialty after all. Finding secrets… and keeping them buried. A job that is made all together much harder by these infernal Gateways of Marsades. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to control the spread of information when new avenues can open up without warning at a moment's thought?"_** She said, irked. Mortead shrugged. She had to be fishing for information. Interesting.

"**I always felt that they were impressive, and their uses far outstrip their drawbacks."** He said, referring to the Gateways. Leviath shuddered.

"**_Oh you _****would****_ wouldn't you? Regardless, I know every secret, Mortread. I know what you and the Emperor's daughter have been getting up to." _**She said in irritation. Mortread didn't say a work.

"**You've been listening to Asamode again, haven't you? I've told you before, he spreads chaos and confusion by force of habit." **He said, admitting nothing. Leviath stared at him, judging his reaction. Then, gave a small grunt.  
**_"Perhaps."_** She said. Motread had to fight not to give a sigh of relief. She was bluffing. There was no way she had managed to sneak a spy into his forces, and he knew that fact had to be driving her insane.

"**Back to the subject, Leviath. Have you uncovered anything about this new leader of the Hyenas?"** he asked her.

"**_Nothing so simple. But I suspect that Prince Kiava is involved."_**

"**With the Hyenas?"**

"**_With the Shadowlands. Think about it. We have the Pridelands surrounded, with the fall of the Mountainlands and Westernlands. For a Young cub like Kiava to have survived alone, as it appears he has, he would need powerful allies. An according to some sources, Scar used armies of Hyenas in his takeover of these lands before, and continued to use them as enforcers and brutes to cement his rule. By all accounts, it was a catastrophically foolish decision, since an idiot would have been able to tell him that the land couldn't support hyenas who over hunted as much as they did. For some reason, he never bothered to stop them. Perhaps he didn't care. In any case, perhaps Kiava believes he can use them as Scar did?"_** She suggested. It was an interesting theory, but Scar didn't sound like the sort of lion a young King would want to _emulate. _Mortread looked dubious.

"**Some of it ****_does_**** makes sense. If he were in the Pridelands we'd know. The only place ****_not _****under our control are the rebel held lands east of Pride Rock, where they are holed up now. If he couldn't leave the Pridelands, then the obvious point to flee is the Jungle. But if Rish'ut ****_was_**** successful****in driving him from the Jungle after all, his obvious destination is the Shadowlands".** He said. He wasn't sure about the whole _using hyenas _thing though. Leviath nodded.

"**_I shall have it investigated. But even without Kiava at their lead, there is a sizeable rebel front here, something we need to deal with."_** She said. Mortread nodded, feeling a familiar anger grip him as he thought of them."

"**I have a plan. I need you to send agents to the others. Enough is enough. We shall crush the Pridelanders once and for all, and I know just the way to do it."**

"**_If you know where they are, it should be simple enough."_**

"**Not quite. If we attack them, they'll simply disappear through a Gateway once more, like they did in the Glade. They'll suffer losses, but we can't afford to simply bleed them. Continued resistance, makes their attempts at recruiting more fighters, easier. We need to stamp out this infection completely. Then turn our attention on the Shadowlands. We cannot be divided. We must act as one." **He said, sounding uncharacteristically serious. Leviath looked at him.

"**_You want to make them stand and fight?"_** Leviath asked, cautiously.

"**Why, by letting them come to us of course. Draw them to us."** Mortread said. Leviath nodded.

"**_You think the juveniles will lure them to us? The entire rebellion? Vitani isn't so foolhardy, is she?"_** Leviath asked.

"**No. But I have something else in mind. Something that will trigger an emotional response from even a lioness with a heart like hers."** Mortread said. "**And I know the perfect spot."**

* * *

Danyal stared at the shape in shock. His mouth was dry, but he knew her by sight.

"I… But… _You can't be…"_

"Danyal. It's me." She said gently.

"Mother? But… How?" He asked. This is too much. He couldn't think straight. He was exhausted from the effort of twisting Marsade's magic to his needs. He must be hallucinating.

"You've heard the stories, Danyal, how Mufasa appeared to his son in his time of need? Did you think I cared less for you? I've always been watching over you. Always." She said. Danyal gulped.

"I… What I just saw…" He struggled to find the words. Kulana nodded, fully aware of what he had experienced. He was overwhelmed, drained, and tired.

"You saw the shadows of things that have been." She said. " Echos. Events leave imprints, no matter how small. With a splinter of Marsade's power in you, you were able to trace back those events, and witness them for yourself. Events of significance to you."

"How can you be here?"

"You've already seen one wraith raised form the dead." She said, and at his expression halted. "Though I am not that. A Wraith is… a Body. Dead, or as near as makes no difference. Animated by the Soul of a departed spirit. In doing so, it removes the strains and pressures of remaining manifest. But also afflicts the creature with ravenous hunger that builds and builds until it consumes him, unless it is fed. It is a dark creation, one of Marsade's greatest crimes. I am a Spirit of the Light."

"You died."

"Yes. But I live on. In you. And in the hearts of those we left behind. Nothing good, in this universe, can ever decay completely, Danyal. Who we _are, ourselves, _they persist. The Circle of Life is like our Sun. It doesn't end at death, Danyal. It merely drops below the horizon. Out of sight and sound and sense. Yet though it seems silent, it burns just as brightly and brilliantly." She explained. Danyal was overcome.

"Why are you here now?" He asked her. He wanted to ask so much, he needed to know so much.

"I am always here when you need me. It's just that today you can see me, too." She said smiling. "It's a special day. You've been… Altered… By the Shamanism… Its makes you more sensitive to such things." She said. She was right. He was altered. Though he felt the last shreds of Marsade's power simmering away inside him, he knew that what he had experienced was… different… than anything anyone – except perhaps Sundar – could understand. It hadn't been pleasant. Its power had ripped through his frail, mortal form as if he were of no consequences whatsoever, an uncontrollable force to which he was barley of notice.

"I saw you. In the Outlands." He said, trying to remember what he had seen, whilst forgetting the experience he had been through to receive such visions.

"Yes. I was an Outlander, since I was cub." She said, almost apologetically.

"You were Amazing. So strong. So brave." Sundar said quietly. Kulana looked pained.

"Please, don't admire me for that. In my youth, I made the foolish choice of trusting Scar. I couldn't see what Taka had become. I went with Tama and Tojo and Zira and Iesha, and the others. And when Simba returned, I still didn't see what had happened. Even though I knew what it meant." She didn't finish that sentence. She didn't' have to. She knew had known, or at least guessed, upon seeing Simba alive, that Scar had lied about Mufasa's death. That he had murdered his own brother. It meant that that he'd tried to murder his own nephew that he'd all but sacrificed the Pridelands to try and cling to a crown he didn't deserve and couldn't begin to control. He twisted the Circle with his greed and his ambition, cloaking it in his own ego and his own delusion. "But I didn't care." She said, honestly. "I was selfish, and arrogant."

"I saw the memory as well…" Sundar said quietly. "You weren't selfish at all. Not as far as your friends were concerned. And certainly not where Danyal was involved." She said. Kulana nodded, coneeding that point.

"Maybe so. But that was after I lived in the Outlanders. Before then? Wwhen it all fell apart, I blamed Simba for my own misfortune, rather than the choices I made. You two are already far stronger, and far braver then I ever was." She told them. Danyal looked at her, ignorant of Sundar behind him. He reached out a paw, but it passed through her without the faintest sensation. Kulana smiled sadly.

"I don't care what you did. Damu was an Outlander. So was Vitani. Both walked away from Zira. Both rejoined their Pride. I… don't believe that _you _of all the lionesses in the world, would have been the one one to side with Zira. Not after everything you did to protect me from her." He said.

"I… Thank you." Kulana said. It clearly meant a lot. To hear her son say that. Unlike Damu and Vitani, she had never had the opportunity to atone for the wrongs she had committed as an Outlander. But Danyal wasn't interested in any of that now. And he said as much.

"I… I've missed you. Every day. I made it to the Pridelands, I found your old Pride, just like I said I would! The both of them! With the Civil War over, I found Simba and Kovu and Vitani." Danyal told her.

"I know you did. I've seen. I am so proud of you, Danyal, so proud of the young lion you've grown into. You aren't a cub anymore." She said, eyes shining with pride. "I have many regrets, Danyal. But none so great as that I didn't get to see you grow up close. I had to settle for watching from afar. I watched you grow up. Alone. I watched you. You were happy. That was enough, to know I'd made the right choice. But I know it was… trying at times." She said. Danyal smiled softly.

"I had a Pride. I was more than happy there." She had a point though. It had been trying at times. "There weren't any other cubs there. The War was only just over. But the worst part was that You were gone. I watched you die. I watched you meet Vitani's eyes and then I saw you die." Danyal said, the memory of it, long buried rushed into focus.

Sundar drew an intake of breath. For all the times Danyal had spoken of his mother, he had never told that. She had assumed that his mother had succumbed to her injuries over time. To know that Danyal had been there, in person, the moment it happened? Kulana wanted to reach out a paw, to stroke his mane, to nuzzle him as she so often had. They couldn't touch.

"My time came." He said simply. "I couldn't not go. I only wish, I had made different choices. If I had, then you might have grown up amongst your own Pride. Instead of being a stranger to it." Kulana said, her eyes looking guilty. Danyal stared at her. He looked to be almost in tears.

"Everything I saw. The Outlands. Najisi…"

"Yes. It really happened. There was no illusion, no trick, and no lie." She said.

"Then… What I saw. Right at the end."

"Yes." She breathed heavily. "Kovu is your Father. I fled the only life I knew because I dreaded, more than anything, what Zira would do for you for that." She said.

"Would Zira have gone that far?" Danyal asked hollowly. It was odd though. By this point, so many people wanted him dead, he felt nothing at the knowledge of adding a known psychopath to the list. But the knowledge that she had wanted him dead before he was even born – that shook hm. Kulana however, nodded.

"Zira's madness was different to the one that infected Scar." She said.

"How so?" Kulana asked, curiously.

"In some ways it was more dangerous. It made her wild. Unpredictable. Do you think Simba would have exiled the cubs along with their mothers, if he had dreamt for a moment that Zira would force them to endure what we did? Scar was cruel. So was Zira. But Simba wasn't one to enjoy suffering. I hated that lion till the day I died, but death… broadens ones perceptions of other people." She said. "I understand somethings, some people, better than I did in life. I've never asked but… I don't think he thought Zira would _stay _in the Outlands. He thought she'd do what he told her to. He thought she'd _run away and never return. _He gave Taka the same offer. He should have known them better… We all knew what Zira was capable of." She let out a sigh. "In any case. What he'd intended as a act of mercy, a moment of compassion for those too young, or too desperate to truly understand… Well. The road to hell is made of good intentions. And it certainly became one for us. All because of her madness."

"She seemed unstable, but not too… insane."

"When you knew her, she was but a shell of what she had been. Even at her most lucid, Simba couldn't predict her. Kovu and Nuka couldn't. But if there was one thing consistent about that lioness, it was the fact that there were no lengths she wouldn't go to in her deluded quest to reclaim the Pridelands in the name of Scar. And she'd crush anything that stood in the way of that. I _knew_ Zira. I _had _to get you away from her. I loved you so much that I ran from everything I knew." Kulana confided in him. And Danyal was suddenly hit by a wave of gratitude. He knew from one look how much she had sacrificed, how much she had risked. And new that she didn't regret a moment of it.

"You never told anyone else." He murmured. Kulana's expression fell.

"I let Vitani and Kovu believe that Najisi had sired you," She admitted, almost guiltily. "But Nuka always knew. Nuka wasn't smart. Or cunning. Or brave. But he was a good lion, once. Before Zira stole even that from him." She was quiet. Momentarily lost in her memories. "I had intended for you to find him you know." She commented. "When I tried to return to the Pridelands. He would have understood. But after I fled, Zira became as manic as ever. She was always dangerous, but in the years following, her insanity worsened. She pushed Kovu harder than ever. And ignored Nuka all the more. I think that was what finally snapped him. Without someone else… without an _equal, _without a _normal friendship, _he just… broke. I do wonder what would have happened if I'd stayed. But I don't regret my choice." She said. "In the end, Nuka _let_ himself become bitter and twisted… even cruel. He dealt with Zira's constant abuse the only way he could, by hardening his heart against the world." Sundar shook her head. It was always the same. Hatred and violence had a way of repeating itself.

"Until he died for it."

"Yes. I watched it. Poor Nuka." She said sadly. "By the end of their training, they were her perfect weapons, Nuka, Vitani and Kovu. I guess I can take some small solace in knowledge that I never had to see what they became in person, in those dark years. By the time _I_ saw Kovu again, Kiara had found her way into his heart, and he was whole again. It was love he needed. Compassion. Mercy. Unconditional trust and hope. Hope most of all. I had none of that to give him. But Kiara? She was everything he needed, everything he ever wanted in mate. As if the Spirits themselves had brought them together… Which I suppose they did, now that I think of it… Mufasa was smug for weeks, even if Rafiki was stubborn." Her lips twisted into a smirk at the irony. "I am glad they were able to be happy. Even if that happiness was short lived." Kulana said. The lioness's dark eyes looked into Danyal.  
And now came the part of the conversation she had been dreading. She swallowed, and looked deeper still. Into his eyes.  
Emerald.

Always Emerald. From the very beginning.

Kovu's eyes.

"King Kovu. He was my Father. This whole time." He was silent. "That was why everyone believed me to be Kiava. Even those who had met Kiara and Kovu. That was why they so easily believed me to be his _heir." _He said realising. Hadn't Vitani said he had almost looked the part too well? Hadn't Sundar noted, in her private moments, how regal, how like a _king _he had looked? Kulana nodded."Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, sounding far younger than he looked.

"I couldn't." Kulana said, shaking her head.

"You could have! All those months we spent in the Outlands? You told me every story of the Pridelands you ever knew, even the tales of Taka, _before _he was Scar! Stories of the Great Kings and their deeds, and you never once thought to tell me that _my father _was among them!?" he asked in disbelief, sounding shocked and… hurt. Danyal blinked upon recognising it in his voice. That fact that he had known the identity of his father had always bothered him, she knew, but this latest revelation seemed to sting him.

"No I couldn't have. I lost touch with Nuka and Vitani and Kovu and all the rest. I tried to send a bird once but no one would dare go near that evil place. I didn't know what had happened after I left. If Zira wonthe civil war, then you would have been in terrible danger. And if _Simba _won? Simba was threaten by Kovu as Scar's heir – or so I believed. How was I to know he would see you as Kovu's? I couldn't… Not until I knew _who _had won." She explained looking distressed.

"Did Kovu know? Did you tell him? Did he know I was his Son? Did he ignore me out of… what? Guilt? Fear? Shame?" Danyal asked. Kulana winced at his words.

"No. Kings _no_. Kovu didn't know."

"You didn't tell him?" He demanded of her.

"When I saw Kovu again I… I planned to tell him. That day. When I asked for his help. I begged him to take you in, to find a place in the Pride for you. I knew that I was finished, even as they sent for a healer. I meant to tell him then, who you were but… Then I saw Kiara. All grown. I saw the Prides _united_. I saw what their union achieved. I saw how fragile the hard won peace was. I knew in that moment that Kiara and Kovu would have declared you for all the Pride to hear, there was a danger to that peace. I'd risk reigniting the war I _left _to spare you from."

"Why though?"

"Kiara, mostly."

"I… You think… Kiara would have felt her Son threatened by _me?" _He asked her. Kulana snorted.

"No. Quite the opposite. Kiara sees the best in people. Even to a fault. She wouldn't have listen to the concerns of her Pride about raising the _Rouge _alongside a Prince." She said the words, and her face contorted into a grimace. "I don't believe for a moment that Kiara would allowed Kovu to ignore his eldest son, even if he had wanted to. She'd have _demanded_ he acknowledge you. But… Things were never that simple." She said.  
"What do you mean?" Danyal asked her, pained, but suspecting he knew what she'd say.

"The Civil War was over. Their mating brought _peace._ I… I couldn't bring myself to jeopardise that. Not with my dying breath. More than that… Kovu was _happy. _He wasn't doomed to become the violent Warlord he have become if he kept to the old ways. The life he so hated. I suffered with him. But Kiara? She made his suffering worthwhile. I couldn't end that. So I stayed silent. Kovu knew who I was as soon as he saw me. He knew you were my son, and agreed to ensure you were provided for without even being asked, he promised you would always be welcome in the Pride. And I didn't tell him the truth. He never even suspected." She told him firmly. She knew Kovu. She knew how he would have acted. And it was entirely possible that the Pride would have been ripped apart by it.

"Did you love Kovu?" Danyal asked her.

"What?" She asked in surprise.

"Did you love him?" He asked her again, staring intently at her. He didn't quite know why, but he knew he needed to know this. It was important. Kulana was quiet.

"You saw the memories. What do you think?"

"I want you to tell me."

"I… I conceived a Son with him. We endured similar hardships. We were close."

"That's not the same as being in love."

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"Would it be easier if I said yes? Or harder?" She replied slowly.

"Please. Just tell me." He asked. He needed to know.

"No. I didn't. I didn't love him" She said at last. Danyal's head dropped. He had thought as much.

"I didn't think so." He told her. Kulana sighed wistfully.

"Kovu was… a great lion. And a good friend to me. I trusted him and I believed in him. But he was my _King_. And I was his subject. Not his bondmate. What we had… wasn't anywhere near that profound. It was wild and dangerous and reckless. I… gave to him what I thought he _needed_. What we _both _needed. I don't want you to think ill of me, but you must understand… We lived… In a dark place. We spent most of our waking days in pain, and in shock and in despair."

"Your life looked… Difficult." Sundar said.

"It was wretched. It made me hate Simba to the core of my being. We were all prepared to kill him after a few years of that hell. We were blindly angry. Hateful. Living with that much poison in your heart is bad for your soul. It changed us. Some of us followed Scar out of fear, others out of loyalty. A few out of anger to Ahadi and Mufasa. It didn't matter. After a few years under Zira's Rule, she had s under her claws. We became harsher. We became… cruel. And became very adept at blaming Simba for our hardships." She admitted.

"I know Damu, and Vitani. That doesns't sound like them." Danyal breathed, shocked at her frankness. But she was right. She had seen the bitterness, the resentment, the outright hate the Outlanders had for Simba. And his Pridelanders.

"We convinced ourselves that the Pridelanders were… Pitiful. Weak. Living in luxury because they had everything we wanted. We saw what we wanted to see. I think some of them pitied us for it."

"Not Simba though. It took his daughter to make him see that." Danyal commented. Kulana smiled.

"Ah… Kiara. How I _wish _I could have been there for that. She surpassed even her father. She possessed a rare gift to see the best in others. An infinite capacity for mercy. Generous. Kind. A decent huntress by the time Kovu was through with her. And brave. Brave enough to stand between two warring armies, risking _everything, _for what was right. It would have been so easy. To run away. Like I did. But she didn't. She risked losing her father, her home, her blossoming love for Kovu… And she almost singlehanded healed a rift that had ripped apart the circle of life. Reunited a Pride divided for _years _before. Anyone can be a killer. Anyone can take a life. But it takes someone special to bring people together. Rather like yourself." She nodded to Danyal and Sundar. And he supposed she was right. He had done much to bring together the Asiatics and the Africans. He half suspected that the Asiatics didn't even think of him as one of the Africans any more. "I wish I had a chance to live among a Pride who valued mercy over ruthlessness. Compassion over cruelty. If I had? I don't think it would nearly have been as bad."

"You'd still have lived in the Outlands though!" Sundar protested. Kulana sighed.

"I am not too sure about that. We were banished _from the Pridelands, _not _To the Outlands. _I don't think Simba ever _really _knew what it was like, Life in the Outlands under Zira. Pain and hunger defined our existence. Hatred and fury gave us our strength. There was no hope. Zira refused to leave in search of better lands, lands we _knew _to exist, just out of reach in all directions… Zira's madness seemed to have doomed us all and… I… We decided to _live._ I think Zira knew that. I think she _wanted _us to endure such harshness, because she wanted to make us hate Simba more. What Simba had intended as a mercy – an opportunity for a second chance, far from the Pridelands – became some far worse. And we hated him for it. But that was what Zira was like. She turned _everything _she was given into a weapon. And we struggled on. Struggled not to let our lives be crushed. Not to give in. It was reckless and foolish but I didn't _love _him. I wasn't in love with Kovu, and he certainly wasn't in love with me. It was Kiara – always Kiara – who had won his heart. I didn't mate with him because I imagined a future where we would be together. I mated with him because I couldn't' imagine _any_ future." Kulana admitted.

"So… I was just a byproduct of the antidote to your depression?" Danyal said bluntly.

"Danyal!" Sundar gasped. Kulana flinched at his words.

"No! Don't say that. Please, Danyal, don't. You were _unexpected_. Not unwanted. And certainly never unloved. I lived for _you, _after that day. Nothing else I did or wanted mattered. Just you. Only you. I have always loved you and I did then, as now." She told him.

"Maybe not unwanted by you. But here? I grew up _alone_. Isolated. Parentless. Passed around to see who I wouldn't bother least. Then relegated to become the _nursemaid_ to the very cubs whose parents were always wary of their cubs picking up _bad habits_ from the 'S_on of the Rouge'. _They didn't even know _who _my supposed father _was _and I was still…" he trailed off. His early life in the Pridelands hadn't been _painful, _oreven uncomfortable_, _nothing like the torturous existence his mother had endured, to say he had been _unhappy_ wouldn't be entirely true, but it had been _lonely_. He had been _so _alone. And to hear that his father had been there the whole time. Kovu and Vitani and… His eyes were widening at the thought. "Vitani. My _Aunt. _She knew. Didn't she?" He challenged her.

"She knew about Najisi." Kulana told him. Not about Kovu.

"She never said a word. When I asked, she denied _everything. _I only learnt from others that she even _knew _you! Why would she keep that from me?" he snarled. Kulana's expression faltered.

"Danyal, calm down. I know this is a shock to you, but –"

"I am not a _cub._ Don't' talk to me like I am!_"_ Danyal snapped, his anger flaring. Kulana stopped, and looked apologetic.

"I didn't mean… Danyal I… Please Danyal. Whatever you think of me and the choices I made, please, understand that I never intended to hurt you. I only wanted to keep you safe. I… I didn't want you to know what it was like to live and grow up fighting a war." She said. Danyal's anger at Vitani dissipated for now, though he could still feel it simmering beneath the surface.

"Yeah. Well, that worked out well." He said. Kulana sighed.

"Then the Shai'tan came." She said finally.

"Yeah. Then the Shai'tan came." He agreed. Kulana reached out a paw to him.

"I watched Pride Rock fall in _agony." _Kulana said. "I watched Simba die – the Shai'tan were so afraid of him that they fell on him _as one, _and Pride Rock burned and you ended up trapped in a war far worse than the one I fled you keep from._"_

"Mother –"

"I watched you escape the flames of Pride Rock. I watched you save Sara. I watched you escape with the others, and I watched you grow as a lion. When I next saw you fight the Shai'tan, I saw you _fall_. And I got to watch his amazement as you got up. I saw you defeat Sekmet. I saw you rally the Asiatics. I saw you fall in love. I saw you do what was asked of you because it was needed. I am proud of you, my son. For what you've done. For how you've lived. I am happy for you." She looked at Sundar. "And for the choices you've made. You are so loved, by so many. Almasi, and Damu, Inti and Sara, Zuri and Kiava. The Asiatics, even the former slaves, who've only known you as _Kiava, _the Panthers, the Jaguars, and the Cheetahs. They _all _love you too. You might have started out in this world alone, and hurt but you've become something so much more."

"I am not Kiava, though, am I? I am not their leader." He protested.

"Neither was I. You aren't their leader, because you are their friend. You do _not _die, here, Danyal. Do you hear me? You don't get to die here. You are going to find you way back to Vitani. You are going to help free _your_ Pride. The Pride you should have been born into." She told him. "You are going to escape. You are going to win. And for the love of Kings you are going to _speak _to Sara once and for all, and get _that _mess sorted before the poor girl explodes." She added at the end. Danyal blinked at the unexpected additional comment.

"What do you –"

"Ah." She winced, and he saw her begin to fade. She began to disappear, fading from view.

"Wait!" He said, suddenly panicked. "Why do you have to go?! Don't leave!" He protested.

"No. I cannot stay. My energy is spent. Spirit's time on this earth are shortlived, and are shorter as of late. The Spirt's capacity to interfere in the affairs of the mortal world are forever limited, but they are even weaker as of yet, no matter our wishes. Only the strongest of us can make our presence known for long, and I am not a Great King or warrior of the Pridelands past… The heavens are decaying as Pridelands decay under the Imperium. And we fade with them. But know _this_, my son. I love you. And I believe in you." She would return, she told herseld, when she had recovered, when she had pulled back some of her essence, but for now she found even the faintest words hard to produce.

"But wait! What do I do? How do I escape how do I find Kiava?" He protested. Kulana dimmed from view.

"Have faith in your friends, Danyal, as they believe in you. And as for the King… when the time is right, Kiava will find you. At least… that's my hunch." She told him. She gave a wicked smile, and for a moment, he could see under the image of his mother, to the wild, confident, powerful lioness beneath. Then she was gone.

"No! Wait, please, come back!" Danyal gasped. But there was no answer.

"Danyal…" Sundar said to his side, intending to offer some words of comfort or encouragement. She froze however, cocking her head, and tapped him urgently, breaking him out of his stupor. "What… What is that sound?" She asked.

* * *

_A short while earlier_

* * *

The gateway closed behind Calin. They moved right away. There was no time to waste. They risked discovery at every moment. Calin moved ahead and was joined by Talib and Jahi, the other two leopards. They hadn't dared risk any more on such a trip. The two wilddogs followed behind, with Forn taking the rear in case Harrin tried anything. As they walked, Harrin lokoed around them. The Outlands looked similar wherever they were, but the ground was littered with slight patches of browning vegetation, becoming more common to the east, telling them that they were in the southern parts of the Outlands. Golgorath would not be there for many more miles, and other termite mounds of lesser size and statue littered the familiar landscape. He tried to find some familiar landmarks to give him a rough position. He grunted.

"Mortread's main encampment is in this direction. They must have emerged from the Gateway not far from here. You are lucky that that Gateway is only a minor link." He said shortly.

"Shut it." Forn said sharply. Harrin rolled his eyes.

"Do you know what you are doing?" Talib murmured to Calin quietly.

"Not in the least." The youngest leopard cub admitted. "I wanted Koron or Inti to be here, but they'd be recognised. Same with any of the lionesses." He said, swallowing. "But I can't sit and do nothing. We need to save our friends. You and Jahi sure you're up for this? No second thoughts?" He asked. Talib nodded.

"We've stayed out of this fight for far too long. Our kind have chosen a side. We fought for the Shai'tan out of fear. But this is our chance to do something _right. _We're going to take it." Talib promised. Forn smelt the air, and froze.

"Wilddogs ahead. At least a dozen." He growled. Calin swallowed.

"Right then." He turned to Harin. Now for the dangerous part. "You know what you have to do, don't you Harrin?" He said, trying to give the same cold expression he knew Inti to be capable of. But the young flame maned young lion wasn't here. Instead, Harrin just looked at the leopard cub with faint amusement.

"Don't worry, cub, I know my role." He said disdainfully, clearly uncomfortable, not with Calin, but with the whole situation. Without so much as another word, he stepped forward, in the lead, and looked down at the injuries he had sustained during the battle, in since then, frowning at where the wounds had begun to heal. With a grunt, he gave the faintly sealed wound a short bite. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it did reopen the old wound once more. He winced, but said nothing. Then he continued to march towards the encampment, in broad daylight without hiding and with no attempt to conceal their presence. They managed to get within a few yards of the termite mounds before the sentry spotted them. It was a wilddog, but young, and without injuries or wounds. It was one of the dogs who had remained behind when Mortread's scouting force had stumbled upon the Shai'tan.

"Who goes there?!" It shouted, giving a loud bark. Immediately, a pair of other wilddogs appeared to his flanks, and gave a threatening growl. "Stay where you are!" He commanded. To his shock and anger, Harrin continued to stalk towards the unfortunate sentry. The dogs stopped growling as soon as they saw him.

"I… _Harrin?" _One asked in shock.

"Who else? Stop gawping and stand to attention! Who is in Command?" Harrin barked quickly. The sentry stamped the ground quickly.

"Commander? But you are, I mean… You were missing in-"

"Well you just found me. Congratulations." Harrin snapped irritably. One of the wilddogs barked a laugh.

"See? I told you! Told you we hadn't seen the last of him." One of the younger dogs barked to his partner.

"Where have you been, Sir? You didn't come back through the Gateway with Lord Mortread and the Prisoners. Who are the leopards?" The older asked, looking careful. Calin's ears perked at the mention of Prisoners. Harrin gave a weary sigh.

"So Lord Mortread _did _escape_. _The leopards are _recruits. _They… assisted our retreat, and wish to dedicate their service to the Shai'tan." He explained. "After that disaster of an assault, my troops were routed, killed or captured. I only know of Forn and mine escape, though more might have made it out of that ambush alive. We couldn't make it through the Zulu Gateway without Mortread. It was _bloodsealed _to open only for the Shai'tan, remember? You _were _paying attention when we discussed that, _right?_" He said sharply. The wilddog's eyes widened.

"Umm. Well, I."

"Never mind. We can discuss your inadequacies later. If you _must _know, Forn and I managed to escape and get _south_, and made it to one of the _lesser _Gateways. The ones that remain open? Then travelled by foot back here. Satisfied?"

"I… Well…"

"Good." Harrin said. "Now would you _mind _telling me where Lord Mortread can be found? As you can imagine, there is _much _I need to discuss with him."

"Umm, He left through another of the Shaman's Magic Cir- _Gateways." _He corrected nodded.

"Well then."

"Well what?"

"Well when will he be returning?" Harrin snapped in annoyance. "I leave our forces for a few days and you've degenerated into hyenas!" He seethed. One of the wilddogs looked panicked.

"He, Umm, he didn't say! I am sorry Commander." He said, looking anxious. Harrin's eye narrowed dangerously.

"You!" He turned to the other wilddog, whose eyes widened at the unexpected question.

"Yes sir?" He stamped the ground in salute.

"Tell me everything I've missed. What has happened since?" he asked, and began to walk directly into the camp as if her were in charge – which, Calin supposed, he was. Unsettled and unnerved, the wilddog followed at his side immediately spilled everything. How Mortead had returned through the gateway, how he'd been followed by a pair of lions, and how they had been captured upon arrival.

"So we have prisoners?" Harrin asked carefully.

"Yes sir. They are imprisoned in one of the Termite Spires." He said. "But we are under strict orders not to interact with any of them. The female is… well… They are rumors she is a Shaman." He said, sounding worried.

"Indeed? And how are we imprisoning one such as her? What if she tries to escape?" Forn asked, interrupting the two. The junior wilddog looked surprised at the interruption, but when Harrin said nothing, he swallowed.

"Well… if… If the Shaman tries anything? We… We have orders are to attack the male she is with." He said, nervously. "She… She apparently doesn't want to see him hurt. At least… those are the orders." He said. He clearly looked uncomfortable with the idea of keeping a Shamanic prisoner. Their only experience with such a thing had been with Marsade, and Calin could imagine being around someone who could tear you inside out with a mere thought would be discomforting – especially if you had injured their loved ones.

"I want to see them." Harrin said quickly.

"Um… Sir… We have orders not to let anyone see them…"

"I just gave you _new _orders." Harrin supplied. Giving a nod, the unfortunate wilddog swallowed.

"Very well… This way. I can send the recruits to see-"

"No, that is fine. Let them come with us. I… Need them to see the Shaman."

"Whatever for?"

"Never you mind. Just… An idea." Harrin said vaguely. The wilddog passed no further comment and led the way to one of the Spires. They came to the entrance and Harrin waved away the guards, before entering the tunnel.

"That will be all." Harrin told him. The wilddog looked about.

"I umm… I better come in with you." The dog said. Harrin glanced at Forn, who gave a nod so slight that you would have missed it unless you were looking for it. Harrin nodded.

"Okay then." He agreed, though he looked concerned.

They entered the tunnel and Calin's eyes widened. He knew Danyal's and Sundar's scent well – he had spent quite a few nights with them, especially after his parent's deaths – and he knew they were ahead. He glanced at Talib, who gave a short smile.

"They're just through here. I warn you, they're - UGH!" He let out a grunt as Jahi charged into his side without warning. The dog was knocked into the wall of the tunnel and gave a gasp.

"What are you –" Forn struck as Jahi pinned the dog down. The canine's eyes widened in fear. The leopard didn't say a word as Forn bit at the dog's neck, crushing it at the neck. The dog struggled as blood burst from his throat, and writhed as he suffocated. His eyes bulged and his claws scrabbled. Harrin looked away, but not before he had seen the dogs fear stricken eyes looking at him in terror. Silent, begging. And wondering why he had done nothing.

Jahi let the dog's corpse fall to the ground.

"You didn't have to kill him…" Harrin muttered. Jahi raised an eyebrow.

"He'd been _torturing _them. If I had time, I'd have repaid him in kind." He said dangerously. Talib shuddered, but looked grimly determined, in full agreement.

Harrin tried to shake the image from his memory. Would they dispose of him as readily as they had the young wilddog? As if sensing his thoughts, Forn gave a smirk, clearly appreciating the irony of having the Commander of Golgorath at their mercy.

"_We_ had a deal. And we'll keep to it. But I don't recall making any bargains with _him." _He reminded him. Harrin grunted.

The sounds of the struggle wouldn't have carried far, and they pressed through to the center of the Spire as quickly as they could. Tearing his gaze away from the unfortunate body of his comrade, Harrin followed.

The cave opened, into a wide, but low ceilinged cavern, the air was pungent with blood, but was far less squalid and dank then the cells in Golgorath. That was something at least. There, in the corner, they could make out two shapes.

"Danyal! Sundar!" Calin called, anxiously, and probably too loudly. The two lions jumped at his voice, and turned in shock.

"I… Calin!" Danyal asked in shock. The leopard cub looked thrilled. Forn barked quickly, and Jahi moved over to the lions, looking anxious at their injuries.

"Are you capable of moving, Majesty?" He asked urgently. Sundar nodded, taken aback.

"You… You came for us!" She said in shock.

"Indeed. Yessen broke open the Gateway and we – the creatures who could pass ourselves off as the Shai'tan's lackeys – came through, talked our way past the guards. We don't have long, every minute is a minute we risk discovery. We have to move _now."_ Danyal groaned, and looked pale. Calin took a step back at his gaunt expression. He was as white as snow, and looked ill.

"Danyal, are you… Are you alright?" He asked him. Danyal struggled. He clearly wasn't. He seemed to be in shock, and was in great pain, bleeding from a dozen wounds.

"I… I can walk. Thank you…"

"It was Calin's plan, his idea." Talib supplied. Danyal blinked, and looked down at the young leopard cub. Calin had been a valued part of the Rebellion, and had been the first person to fight with them. The first Pridelander to join the fledgling rebellion out of principle, and not survival.

"Calin. Thank you." He said.

"Thank me later." Calin said, flushing. "Let's get you two home." He said firmly. And as one, the group, they left the cell of the Shai'tan.

* * *

They almost made it.

That was the roughest part of it.

* * *

They left the tunnels. Sundar could walk better than Danyal could and helped Danyal shuffle along as quickly as they could. He seemed exhausted, but Sundar's shamanic gifts had healed the worst of the injuries. With enough rest, he would be fine. Calin took the lead, feeling elated. It had worked! Harrin and Forn walked with one flank, and the older leopards the other, giving the illusion that the lions were prisoners.

"Back the way we came. Then we need to hide for a few hours. Then Yessen will open the gateway again and we'll be safe." Calin said.

"**Stop! Where are you taking the prisoners?" **A voice came. Calin froze, and Jahi mentally swore.

Ahead of them, the unmistakable flame orange and black striped form of a tigress made her way before him.

"_They told us Mortread was gone!" _Talib hissed. Calin's eyes widend.

"That's not Mortread!" He muttered. Forn stared. Harrin's mouth twisted into a split grin.

"Castella-Ra. Greetings… You're Majesty." He said slowly.

"**Harrin… You're alive! Lord Mortread told us you fell to the Pridelanders. How is it you escaped? How is it you are back here?"** Castella asked in amazement. Standing at her side was one of the wilddogs Harrin had questioned upon arriving at the Shai'tan's encampment. He had found the person in charge alright. Danyal felt his stomach lurch. _They hadn't warned the rebels of the presence of another Shai'tan! Or whatever it was Castella was in the overall command of the Shai'tan. _How could he have overlooked that? There was no time though. He was drained, and his head was full of million notions. There was a tense feel to the air. Calin swallowed.

"As much as I would love to tell you an elaborate and courageous tale of how I was behind enemy lines and used my trickery, deceit, and cunning, to come back to serve your highness…" Harrin supplied with a smirk. "… I am afraid I did much as Lord Mortread did. I ran for the hills and made my way to an Unsealed Gateway as soon as I got the chance." He said. Castella laughed, and to Calin it was chilling.

"**It is good that you have survived. Mortread was most anxious he had lost our most capable commander in the skirmish." **Castella said.

"Indeed. I was fortunate to be able to return." Harrin said grimly, and Calin could feel his anger. He wanted to be done with this charade. He was warey of lying directly to a Shai'tan.

"Which Gateway did you cross through?" Castella asked him curiously.

"A new Gateway was created from Brother's Gorge." He said. Calin relaxed. If he had given the real Rebel's location, Castella would have noticed in seconds.

"**I see. Very resourceful. It is good to have you with us." **She said. **"We are preparing to move from this location. As per Mortread's instructions." **She finished. Harrin cocked his head.

"Is this location no longer secure?" He askedher tentatively. Calin tensed.

"**Security is not the issue. We know where the rebels are hiding. We have decided to move to a… more central… location. Five Stone's is in the east of the Pride Lands – and about as far from the Outlands as you can get and still be **_**in **_**the Pridelands. If it truly **_**is **_**their aim to retake the Pridelands, we will need to take steps to secure it. Until recently, the Pridelands have been a scorched, wildland. Our Dogs, Jackals, and Serpents prowl its grasslands – our birds of prey patrol its skies. But we Rule From Golgorath."**

"I see…" Harrin said, his eyes widening.

"**Do you? It is a mighty thing. Mortread is speaking to Leviath now. The Shai'tan's forces are gathering again. Amun, Sekmet, and Rish'ut may be dead, but it has roused his anger. First, we intend to gather our forces at the **_**one **_**place, we know the Rebels will eventually have to come. Then, from there, we will strike out at Vitani, Lukaan, Kiava, and any who stand in our way. If they think what they have known so far was war, they have yet to known the anger of **_**My Father.**_**" **She said dangerously. Her eyes flickered to Sundar, her words ringing in her ehad as she spoke. Calin let out a gasp, then flinched. No eyes turned to him. No one noticed his lapse – for even Forn and Jahi were struggling to maintain their expressions. Castella-Ra. The Emperor was her _Father! _The fiend had taken a _mate?! _From her age, Sundar supposed it must have been before the old Imperium was slaughtered, and Kai had taken his father's throne, but even so, it came as a shock. Even Sundar – who had known _of _Shan-Yi and his Son before Ben-Kai-Ra's rise to power, had never heard of such a thing. Calin, Jahi, Talib and the others looked thunder struck.

"They will fall before us." Harrin said. "But… Where, may I ask, are we to gather?" If he survived his encounter with Inti, there was at least a slight chance that he could escape and return to serve the Shai'tan a third time. To make up for his failures. After securing his family at least. Castella's face twisted into a smile.

It wasn't often. Sundar had noted the differences between her and her lover – as well as the other Shai'tan. But here and now, she really did look like a Shai'tan.

"**Where else, Harrin? You're a cunning creature. You know the Pridelanders. What is left? Why do the rebels skulk around the outskirts of the Kingdom? When they must yearn for their former home. Where would you take our forces?" **She asked him. Harrin's eyes widened.

"You… You don't mean…"

"**Yes. I do. It was Mortread's idea." **She said. Without further word, she straightened herself, her message conveyed. **"But of more pressing concern, Harrin is why it is you are moving Prisoners **_**out **_**of their cells, and away from Gatelink to… **_**other **_**locations, when no order has been issued? And why you have stood there for several minutes **_**without **_**first identifying the Leopards marching with you who, I need not say, I have never seen in my life. You know as well as I do that Mortread picked all of those with **_**rank **_**here, and a pair of leopards would **_**certainly **_**be more than a grunt, in an encampment consisting entirely of **_**wilddogs."**_

She asked, her voice becoming like ice. It snapped Calin back to reality, his mind trying to puzzle out Castella's cryptic hints, even in this dangerous situation. Anything gleaned here could lead to a massive advantage. His shock and wonder upon hearing Castella speak to freely of conquering Pride Rock was replaced by intense panic. He looked around, and saw that whilst Castella had been speaking, more and more wilddogs had surrounded the party. Castella's expression was murderous.  
It might have been that Harrin's expression there was the sole savior of his life. He let out a breath sigh and for the briefest of moments, flashed a grin at the Imperial Princess that was neither appropriate, not respectful. And it was likely his words, chosen now so carefully that altered her shout that followed from a death order, to a warning.

"Your highness. How I have _missed_ your intellect and your intuition." His jaws parting into a grin, his eyes narrowing, and his nostrils flaring.

That was all the warning Calin received.

He cursed, loud and angrily, to such a degree that Almasi would have blushed, were she there to hear it.

"**Down Harrin!" **Castella said sharply.

Then, hell broke loose.

Without warning the tigress made a jerking motion with her paw. The wilddog to her left leapt into action and seized Forn by neck, sailing under the ducking Harrin. Forn rolled with the dog, trying to dislodge him.

"RUN!" He called out, and jerked himself to his feet knocking his attacker of his back and crawling to his feet even as a second dog attacked him. Harrin whirled around, and struck

"Harrin we had a deal!" Calin warned.

"NO! You had _leverage. _By tonight, my family will be safe – on the opposite side of the world, far from Inti's retribution. And you, my naïve, spotted friend, will be _dead". _He struck at the young cub and Talib was there, the older leopard's claws smashing into the wilddogs jaws.

"Don't hang around – if they surround us we are goners!" Calin snarled, trying to press down the growing feeling of guilt and panic inside him. Castella gave a loud roar, now certain that Harrin was no traitor. She didn't look to him now for she was too busy giving loud orders.

"_Go!" _Danyal gasped to Sundar. "You'll never get away here dragging me!" He protested. To his chagrin, Talib and Sundar did exactly that as Jahi and Forn did their best to keep back the steadily increasing waves of wilddogs. Sundar's eyes flashed.

"NO! I am not leaving you behind!" She turned to Talib. "Go!"

"Sundar!"

"I'll be behind you! I promise you!" She said firmly. And the party began to run. One more dog leapt at Danyal, and the lion mustered enough strength to lift a powerful, clawed paw, and slam it into the ground by its neck. Sundar took a slow walk away from the main group. One wilddog, seeing her as easy prey leapt at her, and Sundar's eyes flashed blue.

_Are you there? _She asked. She didn't know who she addressed it to. To the voice that sometimes spoke within her. To the echo of herself she ahd fought when she had nearly lost control of her powers. To the part of herself in full command of her gifts. Or perhaps in truth, she addressed it to someone, something, else entirely. She couldn't be sure in that moment.

_I am._

Was the simple reply.

Sapphire light erupted around her, and mist coalesced into radiant tendrils of light. They raged and whirled around her like venomous serpents, and lashed out at her would-be attacker. He gave a scream, and when the light dimmed, the canine hung there, suspended in midair, encased in a jagged, lump of some crystalline material. She exhaled a thin cloud of mist, and felt her fur prick at the cold. Ice. Like the frostlashed grass that covered her steps upon her argument with her father, but amplified many times over. Her eyes glowed again.

"_Castella! Princess of the Imperium!" _She shouted out. The tigress looked panicked, fear sinking into her eyes. Where was Marsade when you needed him? She half expected the power crazed orangutan to come blazing out of some hole or other, flinging flame and laughing manically as he did so. But the Shaman had vanished once more, off on his own agenda again. She had no resilience to Shamanism. She had no gift. Against Sundar, she was Mortal.

"_Why, Oh Why, did you think it was a good idea to hurt the one you knew I loved?"_ Sundar snarled. Castella dived for cover as frost and ice turned the air frigid. It was draining on Sundar. But she didn't care.

"_**Ignore the Shaman!"**_ Castella shouted, desperately. _**"Attack the others!" **_Knowing it would be useless to try. She considered throwing wilddog after wilddog, hoping to exhaust the Shaman. But she had no idea how many casualties it would take, or indeed, if they had enough minions to butcher for such a bloody strategy.

Easier said than done.

Whilst dogs went for the retreating forms of Danyal, Jahi, Talib and Forn, Sundar's gifts wreaked havoc. Most of her energy was spent, that was true. But she had feared using her gifts against their enemies for fear it would endanger Danyal – Castella had made it all too clear that the one who suffered for her defiance would be the one she cared about.  
Now though?

Now she flung shamanic energy like there was no tomorrow, little caring for the consequences. A pair of wilddogs were caught on the tips of a pair of spears that formed out of ice frozen from water in the air. They hung there, the translucent glittering display staining red with blood as the spires sank into them deeper then claws, deeper the teeth, penetrating through bodies and emerging covered in gore the other side.

A pair of teeth sank in to her neck, and she reared. She'd not been paying attention to the creatures behind her, focused on the ones before her. She felt a dog grapple at her side and she twisted and writhed. As soon as her attention was diverted, Castella's dogs rushed her, attacking before she could unleash more devastating power.

"Sundar!" She heard a voice call. It was Calin. The leopard was still close by and he bucked under a dog knocking it to the ground. Castella sent a icicle like lance in its direction and the leopard shook off the corpse. But he hadn't been calling for help or assistance. Instead, he rushed towards her, and knocked away the dog from her back.

"Time to go!" He told her. For a brief moment, she felt a mad, bizarre urge. She saw Castella's form turn tail and run as soon as Danyal was out of reach – she had no intention of being in range when she was free to use her powers without endangering her lover. Harrin noticed too and he made a dash from her. Vengeance could wait for another day.

Sundar gave a scream.

And her powers stormed around her.

That was the moment when one of the Spires exploded. It burst open, sending chunks of termite mound, rock and whole clouds of dust high, high into the air.

And the rebels ran for it.

By the time the smoke cleared, and they had managed to claw the dust and debris from their eyes, the shapes of the Leopards and their captive prisoners were long gone.

She had failed.

Mortread's attempt at winning himself back into the graces of the Emperor, their careful planning, scheming, all for naught.

"_**Harrin… As the newly reinstated Commander, I make it your first duty to inform Lord Mortread of what has transpired here." **_She said. Feeling sick in her stomach. Harrin blanched. **"The new Commander was useless. With any luck… he'll be so pleased to see someone competent in charge that he'll refrain from killing you on the spot. At least I hope so." **She looked around at the chaos. "**Oh… And Harrin? Remind me. Next time there is an opportunity… to stab Marsade through his greasy, slime filled, blackened heart, next time he disappears on his… alternative activities?" **She should have known better, than to attempt to cage a Shaman. Harrin looked around at the frozen bodies of his comrades.

"Your majesty… I'd hold him down for you." He said.

**"Good. Now. Tell me. What kept you?"** She told him,

* * *

**AN:**

**Say hello to the wolves. Different naming convention for the wolves, seeing that they are from a completely different continent.**

**We also saw some of Leviath in action. She's a formidable tigress.**

**Then we have Kulana's talk with Danyal. I nearly removed some of it – since some of my response ended up conveying what was actually said. For example, Kulana on her relationship with Kovu, and her musings on Kiara, were written before specific reviews, but I think it worked quite well.**

**But since most was written before the reviews, I left it in.**

**Then there is the 'rescue' of Danyal and Sundar! Though they suffered some casualties, and injuries, Calin is very resourceful! His plan was great, and it was only poor luck that meant Castella found them, and noticed something was up with Harin. Of course, it was marvellously fortunate that Marsade wasn't present in the first place. If he'd been there, they'd never have escaped with their lives. It looks chaotic and messy - and there are jumps where its hard to see entirely what's happened. But I think that's interesting, since it shows it from the dogs perspective, gives you a feel of the sudden chaos.**

**Anyone have any comments on what's occurred in this chapter?**

* * *

**What did you think of the Q/A? Intersting?**

* * *

**If you create accounts before leaving a review (It takes about 10 secs), I'll answer any similar Q/A in PMs, (without cluttering up the board) and put my favourite questions in the AN for now on. If there is a back-and-forth, with follow up comments, for additional comments, it won't clutter up the Review section as much. How does that sound?**

**I seriously urge some of you to create accounts however. I can't reply personally to Guest reviews that leave so many reviews. I used up 6,000 words on the Q/A alone.**

**In any case, that should clear up some of the debate in the comments.**  
**Many of the Pridelanders don't blame Scar for the invasion of the Imperium. That would be ludicrous. But they do blame him for the divisions that made the Pride so easy to conquer. And remember, it was Zira who betrayed much of the Pridelands secrets to the Imperium. Under torture, true, but she wouldn't have been in a position to give up those secrets were it not for Scar.**

**I must admit though, considering the entire point of Judgement was to demonstrate how Scar's many flaws and failures as a King was the catalyst for suffering in the Pridelands – Past, Present and Future, and how Taka was desperate to atone for this.**  
**Were Scar not culpable, he wouldn't have anything to atone for.**

**Which would have made Judgement, somewhat pointless.**

**I was under the impression however, that Judgement was well liked and enjoyed the by readership of this series. It gives the interpretation of Scar that _he himself has. _If you don't trust the Pridelanders, you ought to at least trust himself on the matter. The Point of Judgement to explain what happened to the lion – to make him capable of committing all those horrible things.**

**It's sort of pointless to pretend he didn't do them. Because Scar is a villain. A psychotic, self-aggrandised villain, whose greed, envy and lust for power gradually override his nobler side, until by the time we see Scar come into his power, he is murderous, tyrannical, cruel, sadistic and delusional.**  
**He doesn't STAY dedicated to justice, truth, ruling with right.**  
**He becomes corrupted.**  
**And that is the memory of his tyrannical regime is all that's left.**  
**Sure, he ****_starts out _as an "Extremist with good intentions", becomes an "Extremist with selfish intentions", and then turns into an axe-crazy killer, who tries to murder his own brother, and _his nephew._**

**You weren't supposed to _believe_ his internal rationalisation of his reasons. Him thinking Mufasa was a weak king for refusing to commit torture and genocide… Him being convinced Simba would be a terrible king, despite the kid being 6 months old and more interested in playing with his friends then ruling, were supposed to be signs of his slipping sanity.**

**I am a little shocked so many took his (And indeed, his followers) at face value. The guy is both insane, and lair.**  
**There are a myriad of reasons why you shouldn't believe him (at least in his Scar persona). Chiefly among them being _what you saw in the movies._**

**But also... the whole…**

**_Tries to murder innocent children, _**

**_Tries to murder people who disagree with him, _**

**_Tries to murder innocents who happen to be the same species as someone who wronged him, _**

**_Tries to murder entire species, _**

**Thing_._**

**__It was kinda meant to carry some weight. Not glossed over in the same as "Ruthlessness is needed for respect."  
**

**And another thing.  
Some of the readers need to understand that just because the Outlanders ****_consider _****the Pridelanders to be fattened, pampered, unskilled cowards, doesn't mean they are.  
The Pridelanders think the Outlanders violent, aggressive, treacherous, selfish uncaring monsters.  
And, though likely due to Zira's influence, they are somewhat more justified in their opinions than the Outlanders are of them.**

**They are ****_lions _****for pity's sake. They are ****_incapable _****of conforming to the image of luxurious, fattened, spoilt aristocracy. They still have to hunt, to fight, to run, and to confront every challenge of the savannah. Their lives are no easier than the average lion.**

**The Outlanders merely create this image of their enemies.**

**I wouldn't have thought it needed spelling out, but it seems I've been too subtle in this regard. Lord of Beef Dip seems to have the most objective image of the Outlanders, trusting neither the Pridelanders, nor the Outlanders mental propaganda of the other - and also having an astute estimation of the rundown of an Outlander Vs Imperium War.**

**Saying Scar, and Marsade act as they do because they felt disillusioned and cheated by the brutal reality and faithlessness of the world they lived in, is kinda like saying that Hitler was a charismatic, idealistic artist, who was disillusioned with what he saw as the unethical treatment of his people, following a shameful surrender to an aggressor power, and caving into a group of manipulative, underhanded traitors – whose actions he would later punish with extreme prejudice _en mass._**

**Doesn't make him any less of monster, just because you can see the world through his lenses. And knowing his motivations, doesn't make him less of a butcher.**

**I remind you of the following:**  
**Sarabi endured everything Scar did and more. But she let her experiences help her to become a better person. Faced with tragedy and death, made her appreciate life. Not jade her to it.**

**Scar ran form his pain.**

**Ironic really. His followers learnt to embrace their pain, to draw strength from it.**  
**If he'd learnt to do the same, he might have become closer to his family… rather than sever himself from them.**

**But those are the choices he made. There is understanding his choices. And there is making excuses for them. And Judgement was never about the later.**


	26. Chapter 25 - Zuri's Strength

"**As requested, I have been building a quick Character Glossary. For now it will appear in the next chapter – and upon the conclusion of the book, I will move it to the beginning of the final book – as well as make more to place at the beginnings of each of the other books, so people have a quick reference guide to remind themselves of who some of Kiava's many allies are:**

* * *

Now, the Q/A:

* * *

**_Are you really leaving the site?_**

No. I have no intention of leaving until the series is complete. I don't know where this rumour started (though I have my suspicions), but apparently there is speculation that the latest kafuffle in the reviews has lead to me withdrawing from the site. This has not happened, nor will it.

_**Did Mufasa really expect Scar to be happy with his Son's birth?**_

Well… Yes. Scar had just lost his family, and Mufasa hoped that Scar could – in being an Uncle to Simba – help him move on from the death of his Son. Scar had begun to lust for the Crown for its own sake at this point, but Mufasa had no way of knowing that. Right up to Mufasa's death, he believed Scar to be his loving loyal brother. An irritation at times, yes, but not a killer.  
He hoped that Scar would be as good of an Uncle to Simba, as Mufasa had hoped to be to Kira.  
He was tragically, terribly wrong.

**_Why did Castella give away her identity like that?_**

This wil likely be brought up in the chapter, but simply put, it was never a secret.  
Danyal and Sundar heard of "The Emperor's Jewel – The One thing he cared about," and derived from this speculation that it was some secret weakness they could exploit. In reality, it was one of Castella's titles. You can blame an old game of Chinese whispers for that. But she doesn't hide her identity. She is proud of her heritage. Whether is DOES come back to haunt her is another question entirely, but she has no reason to think it would.

**Where did you come up with the Name "Ulysses" for the Ursa?**

Truth be told, I wsa going to call him Orion. But, Orion being a constellation, and me being a physics nerd, I then associated him with the constellation, Ursa Major – a more fitting constellation. Sadly, "Big Dipper" isn't a great name for the Guardian of the North (Which, incidentally, was intended to be Northern Europe – Not North Africa as everyone assumed – though it could be either). So, I dropped Orion, and picked another Greek hero. Ulysses. Aklark however does sound very nice. I like the idea of using Native American names.

**Is Ga'zul the anaconda, is he going to make an appearance soon?**

He isn't planned for this book – but he might appear in the finale.

**Are we going to see the missing pieces of the flashbacks?**

You think I'd leave a mystery like that unresolved?

**_I don't know if anyone asked but where did you come up with the names of the individual Shai'tan?_**

A variety of ways.

The Shai'tan, are at their core, traitors.  
They all betrayed the all Imperium.  
And as such, their names are derived from prominent Traitors in mythology. Some are derived from Demons, or Pagan gods.  
Sekmet and Amun are both derived from Eygptian Gods, which were thought to be demons by some of the early Christian Church, (Who viewed all forms of Polythesim some kind of elaborate deception by the devil).  
Asamode is more obvious, being derived from Asmodeus, a powerful demon in some mythologies.

Leviath is derived from Leviathan – a serpent like sea creature in Jewish mythology, but, like Asmodeus, a powerful demon lord in others.  
Raeveal is a corruption of Raphael – who was a good Archangel. But it also sounds like Ramiel – who was initially a Watcher, but became a fallen angel who followed Lucifer to hell in the apocryphal "Book of Enoch".  
Mortread is derived from _Mort, _meaning death, and Mordred – who was the Knight of the Round Table, who seized the English Throne while Arthur was away at war, and betrayed his King, where they each killed each other in the Battle of Camlan.

**By the way, why (in your universe) are shaman mostly primates? Are we going to learn where Sundar got her powers?  
**This is a**_very _**Good question. Perhaps the best question.

The Original Five, (Halien, Margane, Yessen, Rafiki and Marsade) were all primates.  
Asante and Sundar are not.  
Yes, there will be _more _Shaman.

Yes, there is a reason for the old Shaman being Primates – there are other differences as well.  
Yes, Sundar's power are mysterious.

No, I have _Not _told you how she got them.  
YES The answer to that question is _VERY _important.

**_Also, why would Castella talk to Harrin for so long if she knew that there were rebels with him?_**

She noticed something was off, and kept talking while she figured out what it was. Then, once she knew, she stalled until she could figure out if Harrin was _in _on the rebels, or being forced to against his will. Once she was confident of his loyalties, she struck.

**Are all birds used as messengers like Zazu?**

Sort of. They all know the area. The on Kulana meant to send would have involved her attempt a sort of "do this small favour for me, and I won't eat you" deal with a few birds, but none would dare risk hovering around Zira. They're starved lionesses after all, who would snap up a free bite before they could get a word in edgeways.

**_Will the three wolves, Ironfang, Stoneclaw, and Nighteye make another appearance?_**

Yes.

* * *

**Chapter 25: Zuri's Strength**

* * *

"Vurugu!" Zuri said, clearly and firmly. "I will accept your challenge."

The other hyenas looked to one another in surprise. Kiava winced. He had already given Zuri permission, despite not knowing what she had in mind. He couldn't retract that now.

"You? Who _are _you, cub?" Vurugu asked in… not quite indignation, but surprise.

"My name is Zuri." She swallowed. "Zuri, of the Pridelands." She said, stepping forward. Then, realising this might not be enough, added. "I have travelled with Kiava, since before our Pride Split. I've been his friend since before Pride Rock fell. And unless I am mistaken… _I _am Kiava's heir. At least until he is old enough to have cubs."

"Zuri no! Don't!" Sarafina gasped.

"Are you his sister or something?" Vurugu asked surprised.

"She is my friend. The closest I have, and the most trusted of all of friend." Kiava said sharply. "But Zuri-" Zuri brushed past him. She ignored him, and fixed her gaze on the black hyenas.

"Is his word not enough?" Zuri challenged him. Vurugu shrugged. Zuri had thought that he might protest at her claiming such a title, but unlike the Lion Kings, the Hyena's heirs were not always a direct descendant. Lion law was very clear on the matter. The oldest child of the present ruler – whether they be male, female, or adopted always took precedence. But a king could always anoint unrelated successor personally. Dynasties did not last for ever after all. Kiava had done as much to her, when they had feared he would die of snake venom. The memory, so recent, sent shivers done her spine. Traces of the poison remained within him even now, and its remanence burned in his veins still.

"Well, Vurugu? Will you allow his heir to meet your challenge, rather than himself?" Shenzi asked him. Vurugu was quiet for a moment.

"Stand down, you silly girl." He snapped, shaking his head. "What's the matter, Kiava? Scared to fight me? Or weak? How can you expect us to follow you then? Why should we risk ourselves, when you are afraid to risk your own? How do we know you won't use us, then slink away when things go wrong?"

"I would never –"

"Scar did! Scar betrayed his allies, didn't he Shenzi!? He backstabbed the ones who followed him. Zira butchered my clan and my family. How can we trust you to be any different?" He asked. Shenzi growled.

"Scar never allied to your clan. The Striped, and Spotted and Brown clans went with him, but your clan was never a part of his schemes. Caliban saw to that when he murdered the mad tyrant's mother." Shenzi said. Vurugu frowned.

"Scar is a nearer ancestor to Kiava, then Caliban is to me." He pointed out, and several of the blacks growled in agreement and anger at Shenzi's words. Asante shook her head to Shenzi's indignant expression. Now was not a time to argue this point. _Especially _since they were arguing for unity.

"The crimes of Scar and Zira are no more Kiava's responsibility or fault, than the crimes of Caliban are yours, Vurugu." Zuri said.

"Hold on a moment-" Kiava tried to interrupt. Vurugu growled,

"You have a lot to say, _lioness."_ His eyes narrowed, into yellow slits. "Tell me, Kiava, is it normal for a lesser to speak for their ruler in that way, among the lion kings?_" _Vurugu asked. Kiava snorted.

"Zuri is my most trusted friend. She can say what she wants to say and I'll take no offense." He snapped, his patience wearing. Vurugu raised an eyebrow.

"I had expected Lions to be more… aloof… more cultured, more refined more… arrogant… then this. You have a lot to say, _Zuri. _Speak then. What's your opinion on the matter? What can Kiava offer us?"

"Kiava can offer you… victory. He can win this."

"Huh. That's a bold claim. How can you be so certain? How do you _know?_" He asked

"Because I know Kiava. He won't let us down. He doesn't know how to fail. We'll succeed. He's already killed one Shai'tan, we'll defeat more." Zuri said, emboldened. "And I _that _is an ideal I am _perfectly _prepared to fight for. _That _is a promise."

"You trust in your King that much?" He asked her.

"I have faith in my friend." She said without a moment's hesitation. Vurugu looked her up and down, reappraising her. He frowned. Eyes narrow, as if puzzling her out. Then he nodded.

"Very well. But understand this: My opponent might be different, but the terms do not change. Prove to me. Prove to me you have the strength to win this war. Prove to me you have the heart to keep fighting. The will to carry on. Prove this _matters _you as much as you claim! Back up your claim with your sweat and blood. Prove it to a cynical Shadowlander." He said. Zuri nodded.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Kiava asked. "Hold on a second!" Zuri..." Kiava said, and Zuri moved over to him so they could speak in relative private. He spoke low, so that the hyenas couldn't hear them. "_What_ are you doing?" He asked. Zuri shook herself, and flexed her front limbs, readying herself.

"You said that you would trust me. You're in no fit state to fight. This way is better." She said.

"Zuri, this is not a good idea." He said impatiently.

"Are you the only one who is allowed to risk themselves? You know you can't fight like this, but if you refuse, Vurugu would only take it as a sign of weakness – and if you lose, it could be even worse."

"I can fight him _myself_. I don't need you getting hurt trying to prove yourself! You don't need to prove anything!"

"I need to prove you are worth fighting for. To them, not to you." Zuri said.

"Zuri, I can fight, even injured-"

"That's dung and you know it." Her expression softened. "You're not fine. You are hurt. Maybe in a few days you could be strong enough. Hell, with Asante here, you'll probably be fighting fit in half that time. But if you try to fight him now, you _will_ lose. And if you lose, you'll lose the Black Hyenas. Maybe even the Browns too. You didn't defeat Amun by being stupid, Kiava. We can't have a rouge army of hyenas at our backs every day. This is important, Kiava. And even if I lose, it would be far less damaging to have you lose." She said. Her heart was pounding. Truthfully, she didn't know if she could win. But she was certain of the pressure Kiava would be under to prove his case to the Hyenas. With this victory, they could replenish the losses they had suffered fighting Amun and his serpent, Abyss. Without their support, they played a dangerous game.

"It's also risky." Kiava said sounding troubled. Zuri smirked and nodded.

"Kiava, when has anything we've ever done _not _been risky? When are we not taking risks, gambling with our lives, taking chances and defying the odds?" She asked him. Kiava was quiet for a moment.

"Is there any way I can stop you?" He asked her half-heartedly.

"Of course there is." She said. Kiava blinked.

"What?"

"All it would take… would be for you to ask me not to." She said. "I won't do this if you don't want me to. But _please, _Kiava, trust me. They want you to prove yourself to them – let me prove myself to you, if nothing else."

"You've never needed to prove yourself to me. I know what you are. I know that you are fantastic, as a fighter, as a friend. You don't need to do this because you need to prove that to me." Kiava said, suddenly serious. Zuri nodded.

"I know." She said, and was silent. Waiting. He knew that if he told her to, she would withdraw. She wouldn't do anything he didn't want her to, even if she disagreed with him. He was her king, as well as her friend. He nodded. He didn't try to dissuade her.

"Good luck." He said simply. Zuri grinned.

To their mutual surprise, the challenge was delayed somewhat. Kiava had expected it to take place there and then, for Zuri to turn around and begin the fight in that moment. But perhaps the Black Hyenas were more refined than he had given them credit for. Vurugu had it announced to his people (apparently, there was a small group of them among the Striped hyenas, who had joined the other clans at Carrocsscirr) and to the brown hyenas. Haana seemed no more relaxed than she had before. She twitched nervously, and winced as she watched Vurugu pace around, her expression apologetic.

"Matriarch Haana?" Kiava asked her quietly. The hyena looked up in concern.

"Uh, Yes?"

"Would it be… acceptable… now that we've met one another, for the rest of my… followers… to join us? I have a number of friends who would be as anxious to watch this… challenge… as much as Vurugu's followers are to see him." He said carefully. Haana smiled.

"Would these _friends_ be the great lumbering gorilla, who could crush a skull in each hand, and the the lioness, you came here with?" She asked him cautiously. Kiava nodded, seeing no point in lying.

"Bruce is harmless. He's a gentle giant really. A little slow in the head, but he is nice, I promise you that." Kiava told her.

"And what about Sarafina? Is she harmless?" She asked him. Presumably, one of her followers had told her Sarafina's name. Kiava cocked his head.

"Sarafina? No. In fact she's quite possibly the most dangerous lioness in Africa right now. If you don't count Vitani." Kiava answered honestly. "She is one of my teachers. She taught me – and Zuri for that matter – to fight. To hunt. And to rule." He said. Haana nodded.

"At least you're honest." She grinned. "That much is refreshing. And a welcome departure from your ancestors." She nodded. "I'll send some of the guards to allow them in. My sister might not like it but to hell with it. If you meant us ill I don't think we'd be able to stop you by separating you from your friends. And as dangerous as Sarafina is, _she's_ far less likely to mean us ill if we were more hospitable. You just make sure they understand not to interfere. Whatever happens?" She said. Kiava nodded.

"Agreed."

Haana beckoned a stripped hyena nearby and relayed those same instructions to him. The young make ran off to do as she had asked.

"So… this Zuri of yours. Is there a reason she fights in your stead?" She asked him. Kiava looked at her. He looked around, and decided that with the guard gone, there was little point in being wary of eavesdroppers.

"Several days ago, I took command of Shenzi's Clan, and lead the hyenas against the last remnants of Amun's armies. Abyss, the Serpent lead them."

"What was he like as a leader?" She asked him.

"Ruthless. Cunning. Brutal. And Merciless. He was perfectly willing to sacrifice as many lives as it took to get an edge." Kiava said, shuddering.

"You beat him though." She said, hopefully.

"Well… there is more to being a leader than ruthlessness and cunning. Sure, it might help you win battles, but what good is it to defeat your enemies unless you can offer your followers something different? Something better?"

"But you _did _defeat him?" Haana pressed.

"Yes. I defeated Abyss… and crushed his head in with a rock." He said. Haana stared at him, picturing it.

"Eww." She said after a moment. Hyenas were crude, but that didn't mean they were disgusting. She shivered at the thought. Kiava nodded.  
"Exactly. But it was a close call. When we were going through the survivors, a few weren't as dead as we thought they were. I was bitten."

"By Abyss?"

"No. By his honour guard. A Black Mamba." He said quietly. Haana stopped and stared at him in mute horror.

"You're joking." She said at last, her voice for once void of humour.

"I am not." Kiava said seriously, and pushed some of his fur up, over the wound, where the tell-tale, purple tinted puncture wounds could still be seen, raised above the surface of his skin, hidden under a layer of golden brown fur. Haana looked shocked.

"That's _impossible_. How are you still…?"

"Breathing? That is a secret I feel I need to keep for the time being." He said. Haana gaped, but nodded.

There was a noise, and ahead of them, several more hyenas entered the room slosly followed by an assortment of other species. Bruce entered first, with Timon and Ookai perched on his back, looking around them. Ookai looked uncomfortable at the abundance of hyenas. He'd only just become acclimated to the presence of Shenzi's clan, and the hungry eyes of the striped clan following him wherever he moved appeared to be making him nervous. He twitched slightly, and nodded when he saw Kiava.

"You're Majesty! Good to see you again. I gather that you and our hosts have come to an arrangement of some sort? Good news. When can we be leaving?" He asked. Shenzi followed smirking as she did so, and as Timon rolled his eyes.

"What did you promise them?" He asked bluntly.

"Nothing yet. The Striped Hyenas are interested in alliance." He said, filling in the others on recent occurrences as quickly as he could with the details gleaned from Haana and her fellow chieftains of the rival clans. Timon's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?" He asked, clearly not convinced. Haana coughed.

"Unfortunately… some of the other clans are less thrilled at the prospect." She pointed out. Sarafina's eyes narrowed to slits.

"What do I get the feeling that you are about to tell me something I am _really _not going to like the sound of?" the ancient lioness asked carefully.

A few hours later Sarafina stood at the edge of a smaller circle of creatures. Hyenas, for the most part of all four clans, but other creatures, the apes, and Timon and Kiava were also present. Her expression curled into one of intense frustration.

"_I STILL don't like the sound of this…" _She muttered quietly, the sound drowned out by the anticipatory growl of the other hyenas. The air was filled with an electric excitement that was palpable to those who could feel it. To Kiava, it reminded him uncomfortably of the _Thrill _he felt during the hunt. The predatory expectant feeling that proceeded the chase. Zuri paced up and down before him, looking anxious, but her eyes determined. She wouldn't back down now, despite her nerves.

"Come on Zuri! Show them what you're made of!" Ookai said, encouragingly. A couple of the striped hyenas cheered at that, and Kiava smiled in surprise. Asante, catching his eyes, shot him a quizzical look.

"What? She fought with us against Abyss' snakes. She fought like a demon! We hyenas respect that." She pointed out. Kiava nodded.

"Sorry…" Kiava said guiltily, as Asante chuckled at his awkward expression.

"I'll get over it." She laughed. Then, she added her voice to the cheering. "Come on Zuri!" She called. Kiava remained silent, as did the Hyena chieftains, though in private, Kiava was mad with anxiety.

Zuri took a breath, remembering Sarafina's lessons, and prepared for the fight. Ritual duels, or _mashindano _as they were known in the old tongue, were far more common in the shadowlands than in the Pridelands, but Zuri knew of them of course. They had changed the course of history more than once. By some accounts, Simba's fight with Scar could be considered one – as could Scar's own duel with his father Ahadi.

"This your first fight?" Vurugu asked her calmly. "I've fought _dozens." _He said. Zuri rolled her eyes. _Of course he had. _In the shadowlands, they were often used for far less civilised matters. Minor disputes, even such things as eating rights, and territory disputes, petty feuds and the like could be settled in a short and brutal and often violent clash of strength. Why bother with discussion and remonstration when you could simply hit problems until they went away?

Of course, sometimes they _hit back._

"I've fought in real battles, Vurugu, when my life was on the line. Don't try and intimidate me." She said, surprising even herself with the ice cold tone that leaked into her voice. Vurugu stopped, reevaluating his opponent.

"Fair enough." He said, stopping short of apologising. Hyenas didn't apologise.

A while later, Kiava gulped, looking over the edge of Carrocscirr. He had expected the fight to take place on the ground, perhaps in the Throne room. Not on the precipice of the Ivory tower. The height was dizzying, the footing uneven, and the wind stronger than below. He swallowed. He hoped Zuri wasn't afraid of heigths.

The circle of creatures stood around them, but Zuri doubted it would remain as neat and precise for long. There were no boundaries, no arena markings in mashindano. Just the natural barriers around you. If they drew close to the edges where the onlookers stood, the other animals would simply move out of the way, or risk being caught up in the savagery.

"You requested this fight Vurugu." Haana called out. "Are you ready?" Vurugu nodded.

"And you, Zuri?" Kiava asked. Zuri inclined her head.

"_Begin." _He said, then sat back down.

Zuri let loose a growl and charged forwards. The aggressive start made Kiava blink. The surprise however worked to her advantage, as Vurugu was similarly taken aback. Zuri charged into him, leaping up and gripping at her foe with claws and jaws. Vurugu shouted in pain, and jerked to the side, trying to shake Zuri free. Zuri grunted and held fast, biting down again his neck. Vurugu howled, and arched his back, twisting free. Zuri dropped to the ground, and Asante gave a smirk.

"_Get him!" _He muttered, but her grin froze on her face when Vurugu gave a growl through gritted teeth and leapt forwards. Zuri had bearly crawled to her feet when Vurugu slammed into her side, knocking her down again. Jaws snapping, he struck at her and Zuri pulled away. His teeth closed around empty air and Zuri retaliated, her claws slicing out and scratching deep into Vurugu's coat. Eight lines of crimson burst into existence and Vurugu drew away, drawing a short breath. He was in pain. Clearly he had expected an easier fight than the one he was getting. Zuri might have been smaller than he, (for he was a fully grown lion, and while Zuri met Asante and a good number of the shadowpups in size, only Sarafina and Bruce stood taller than the fully grown hyenas) but she wasn't intimidated by his size.

Vurugu have a bark and Zuri dodged to the side. The wilddog though, was quick. Very quick. With superb reflexes, he twisted, blinked once, adjusted his footing and snapped forwards again before Zuri even had time to register his new attack. His jaws closed around her neck, and Zuri screamed.

The sound sent spasms of pain through Kiava's chest and his heart leapt to his mouth. Sarafina leapt to her feet as well, but Shenzi's voice rang out clear.

"_Don't! _You can't interfere or the challenge means _nothing!" _She said urgently. Zuri gave another shout of pain, and Vurugu twisted, his jaws tightening, adjusting his grip. Her struggles only made her grate on his teeth, and then Vurugu twisted.

His superior strength winning out, Zuri was lifted clean from the ground, and thrown across the length of the arena, hyenas scattering as she landed with a loud _thump. _Zuri groaned, and the thin lines of blood could be seen from where Kiava sat. She was breathing though. Kiava let out a sigh of relief. A move such of that could have snapped Zuri's neck in a moment, killing the cub instantly. Instead the hyena had thrown her across arena and Zuri was now on the defensive.

Stifling a gasp of pain, she stood up as Vurugu moved over to her.

The Black hyena looking dark and menacing with just his mere presence. His yellow eyes glinted.

"Huh. Nothing special after all." He said dismissively. Zuri looked angry, and Kiava braced himself, expecting a sharp reply.

"Oh. Shut up and fight." She said. And dashed forward.

Not what he'd been expecting.

Sarafina gave a proud smile as Zuri jumped forwards, and then weaved away from Vurugu, jumping up and landing instead on a outcrop of rocks at Vurugu's height. She didn't stay there long, instead he leapt from her newfound height and landed behind Vurugu, who whirled around to face her. Off balance and bewildered, she charged forwards once more and slammed her head into the black hyena's stomach. The wind was punched from his lungs with the sound of a geyser exploding. His eyes widened in pain as Zuri unleashed a barrage of slices and slashes with her claws, her expression determined and focused.

That was her strength.

Vurugu had the strength his age brought him and the speed native to his species. But when he fought, when he attacked, he relied on his jaws. Powerful, crushing and devastating as they were, Zuri couldn't hope to match the force of his bite. Not at her age. But her claws on the other hand. Those, she had over Vurugu. Tiny blades that sliced and slashed and carved away at her foe ever as she moved and ducked and weaved and dodged away from his attacks. She needed to be careful. One false move and he was latch onto her with brutal and merciless force. And intense and unrelenting pain would follow, as she had learnt already.

"She's chipping away at him though…" Sarafina observed. And she was right. Vurugu was tiring. He let out a bark and bit forwards. Zuri was waiting though, and ducked under the blow. Suddenly she was under his guard. Then she bit forwards. Vurugu tried to pull away and Zuri inched forwards, leaning back onto her hind legs. She biting at him with his jaws in one movement, then battering at him with her clawed paws in the other. She gave a cry that was almost a roar and Vurugu gave a howl of frustration.

"Why don't you _stay down?" _He shouted in anger between blows. His jaws snapped around her forepaw, and Zuri gave a cry, and pulled away. She limped backwards, and adjusted her footing to put the weight on her other three paws.

"_Because you can't stop me getting back up!_ You can't keep me down! And I – _ugh_ – I won't _ever_ stop!_" _She shot back, and rolled away from a vicious bite. Then struck up with both paws, rolling with the blow. Vurugu stumbled. One of the hyenas gasped aloud as they rolled to the edge of the ivory tower.

"_They'll fall!" _One shouted in panic. Asante's eyes glimmered and Kiava saw with a startled choke that she was summoning her power.

"Vurugu! You want to see faith? You want hope? You want trust? You want to _know _what I know? Feel this!" And with that, she hooked her claws into Vurugu's flanks and rolled from the edge of the ivory tower.

"NO! ZURI!"Kiava shouted in panic. The creatures watching surged to side of the tower and stared in amazement at what they saw.

Zuri was perched on the rocks and the crevices and the stalagmites and the outcrops that spine the rocky and uneven edges of the tower. Some of the edges were wide enough to stand, even to circle on, but some of the footholes were mere inches wide, mere steps where she stood. They could feel the wind blowing now, and it was no work of Asantes. The height was dizzying. Vurugu stumbled to his feet clinging to the edges of the rocks.

"You… You are a brave lioness, Zuri!" Vurugu admitted,

"You wanted to know. To know how certain we were that we could do this? Does this answer your question? You ask if our King is prepared to risk his own life alongside us. This is your answer."

And Zuri leapt at Vurugu. Kiava gasped, his heart in his throat as the hyena ducked. And then Kiava was stunned. He had seen her fight the wilddogs in Amun's armies. Seen her fight the serpents of Abyss' forces. Fought her himself in the ruins of Hakuna Matata Falls. Now he saw her as if from the outside. She moved, muscles tightening, and leaping from rock to rock, barley touching the side of the cliff face as she moved along it, her expression was focused, as if she didn't even see what she was doing.

Not for the first time, Kiava felt a stab of anger at Sarafina. She may have acted in deception for the good of the Pridelands, but the injustice still hurt. Sarafina had taught the both of them, but one thing was clear. The two of them were not equal fighters. Zuri was the superior fighter. And now he saw by just how much she surpassed him that regard. She cleaved into Vurugu's side with both claws, slamming him into the wall-face. He grunted in pain and Zuri pressed forwards. Kiava stared, barely breathing as her claws scythed along his eye, scratching just above the eyebrow. Vurugu barked in pain. The canine shouted, and jerked in instinctive pain. Howling in pain, he snapped forwards, jaws closing her flank. He bit down hard, blinded by his own pain.

"NO!"

"VURUGU NO!"

"STOP!"

Shenzi, Kiava, and Haana cried out at once! But it was two late. Zuri shouted in pain once again, and her claws jerked, her muscles spasming, and chunks of rock fell apart in her claws. Vurugu withdrew quickly, panic setting in his eyes as the warning shouts of his allies hit him, but not for himself. Zuri slid down the side of the tower, the rock in her second paw giving out. She moved a foot, and caught herself for a moment on the tip of an ivory tusk that jutted out of the tower. Then, that two snapped under her weight.

"ZURI!" Kiava shouted, frantic, as Zuri fell. She shouted in panic.

Then she twisted.

Her claws struck into the rock. Deep groves carved into the side of the rocky cliff face as she fell, they could be seen from where he stood. Her descent slowed.

Then , she wasn't falling.

She was sliding down the side of Carrocscirr.

Then, grunting, she pressed her claws further into the rock. She stopped.

"_No…"_ Asante gasped.

With a grunt, Zuri pulled out a clawed paw. Pebbles, shards of rock fell away, disappearing out of the sight below her. Then, reaching upwards. She let out a soft cry of… pain? Anger? Determination? And heaved herself up. Then, she dislodged her other paw and hauled herself up another foot. Anf another. Each time, she step, each stroke she sped up, moving faster, until, with a leapt, she jumped, like a wildcat, and jumped several feet into the air, before latching onto the wall and repeating the movement. In mere moments, she had scaled the edges of Carocscirr.

With one final leap, she passed where Vurugu was standing agape, and landed on all fours, crouched low. Then, rushing forwards, she slashed at the black hyena, who stumbled back, and then in a moment, it was over. Zuri had pressed on paw over his neck, her claws extended, and Vurug was motionless, his head leaning over the side of the cliff, the ground stretched out far below.

"You know… I think I can see my old home from up here…" Zuri observed. Vurugu's eyes widened.

"Enough!" She spluttered. And Zuri let him free. Then, turning her back, and jumped up and past the hyena to re-join Kiava who was standing with his mouth slightly open.

"Satisfied?" Zuri asked him.

* * *

"Keep moving!" Jahi called. The elder leopard looked panicked. They couldn't afford to slow now.

"We can't… Jahi, we need to slow down! We've gotten this far, we can afford to slow for a few moments!" Calin said. Jahi hesitated. Then nodded, and the others gave a collective sigh of relief.

"How is he?" Jahi asked, moving over to where Danyal was standing. The older lion looked pale, and was easily the most injured of the group. His prolonged torture at the hands of Marsade and the Shai'tan could be seen all over him. Danyal wheezed, and inhaled, already out of breath.

"I am okay…" He said feebly. "Thank the kings you came when you did…" he said. Forn, the wilddog gave a growl.

"Never mind that now. _Who _was that tigress? Another Shai'tan? One we didn't know about!" He said, clearly troubled.

"She oh… How stupid of me… I should have realised." Danyal moaned.

"Her name was Castella. She's heir to the Empire. Ben-Kai-Ra's daughter." Sundar said. Calin blinked.

"That monster has a _daughter?!_ Someone had cubs with that creature!_"_ Talib said, disgusted. Sundar growled.

"Watch your tongue! You've seen Asamode's spawn. She might not have had a choice!" She said sharply. Talib's eyes widened with memories of the Ligers and the devastation they had caused.

"Her family isn't important. What's important, is who _she _is. The Emperor's Jewel she said! Does that mean _she's _the one thing the Emperor cares about!" Forn asked in shock. Danyal brooded.

"It looks like it. We assumed that meant some kind of secret… some kind of weakness… Something we could exploit. But what if it meant something else entirely? We only ever heard of it in whispers, in rumours. What if _Emperor's Jewel _is just a meaningless title like _Flame of Pride Rock _or _Lady of the Night _or _Dark Guardian of the Pridelands?_ It might not _be _secret. Just… Not well known._" _He said, rattling off the monikers of Kiava, Kovu and Vitani in quick succession, a horrible suspicion dawning on him. "We were stupid to get our hopes up. Why, _why_ did we think that the Emperor would be so… so… _ordinary _as to have some secret weak spot lying around for us to discover. She's not his _weakness. _She's his _weapon_. Same as the Shai'tan. And is she _is _the one thing he cares about, that just makes her more dangerous than the rest of them. The others… some of them hate each other as much as they hate us. But she's not their peer. She's their ruler – or the heir of their ruler at any rate. If the Imperium treats their heirs like we treat ours, she'd be able to call upon _any _of their aid." The young lion said. He pressed a paw to one of his wounds, and it came away bloody. He grimaced. Hot spikes of pain shot through him. But he had survived worse.

"Calin… Thank you." He said to the young leopard. Calin looked up at Danyal and nodded.

"Hey… You'd have done the same for me. You practically did after Bane killed my family." He said. That sent a jolt through Danyal.

"Jahi, Talib. You need to know this. If anything happens, you need to know. _Marsade is alive."_ Danyal said. The leopards looked up, stunned.

"WHAT?!"

"The Shaman!?"

"HOW!"

"I don't know… Rafiki told us he was dead… said he'd dropped a _mountain _on him! He was injured… weakened, perhaps. But he survived. He… hurt me. Ripped apart my memories, my… my _thoughts. _He knows about the rebels… about Vitani, what she… what _we _did, in the name of the Kingdom. We're vulnerable. We _have _to get back to the others!" he said.

The rebels held identical expressions of fear.

"The Shaman. Can _nothing _kill him?" Forn asked in awe.

"I don't know." Danyal said honestly. "He's… affected… by his experiences. He's not just psychotic, he's deranged. I need to speak to Rafiki… to Yessen. Maybe his delving into dark magic and blood shamanism is causing his mind to fracture or something.

"But If Marsade is _alive, then _why wasn't he there, with the Shai'tan?" Forn asked.

"I don't know." Danyal admitted. "He didn't seem to spend all of his time there. Mortread and Castella have their forces there, in the Outlands. Maybe the other Shai'tan have other outposts like it, dotted around the Imperium? Maybe Marsade was with Asamode, or Raeveal, or one of the other Shai'tan? In any case, his pattern is eratic. He's confused." Danyal said.

"Confused how?" Forn asked. The wilddog eyes narrowed. What did all of this mean?

"Confused as in, crazy. He showed me fragments, echoes, of the past, of what he experienced. What made him what he is today? Rafiki and Yessen and the Imperium are all linked to it. But whatever it is… It takes priority over the rest of the Imperium. I don't think Mortread can _order _him to do anything."

"I don't know if that's better or worse. The idea of Ben-Kai-Ra having a pet Shaman at his beck and call whenever he wanted was horrifying enough. The idea of having a rouge Shaman beholden to nothing and no one let loose on the world could even be _worse._ Uncontrolled, and unrestrained? I doubt even Rafiki knows what he could be capable of." Sundar said shuddering. Jahi nodded.

"That settles it. We have to get going _now. _We need to warn the others." The Leopard said.

"But we're days away from Five Stones!" Talib protested. "Now that we're cut off from the Gateway, we'll have to walk back!" he said. Sundar looked up suddenly.

"What Gateway?" She asked.

"The One we came through! Yessen and Rafiki created it back at Five Stones. The Plan was for you to pick it open on the return trip. It seems to take two Shaman – or two of their rods at any rate – to open a gateway, but only _one _to pick open one that was already created but then _closed. _Even then, the effort exhausted them._"_ Calin explained.

"Where did you come through?" Danyal asked. Calin groaned. "A way back in the _other _direction." He said, nodding back towards the Shai'tan encampment. That way back was impossible.

"When Harrin was stalling for time, he told one of the wilddogs that he came back through another gateway. One the Shai'tan knew about. One that only opens a few times a day." Talib suggested. Calin looked up. "Even if he weren't lying, it would be heavily guarded."

"Not necessarily. If it's usually sealed at this hour…" Talib began.

"They might not expect us through. We could be in and out before they had time to react." Jahi finished. He looked at Danyal's injuries. "We'll have to risk it." He decided.

"What are you orders?" Forn asked Danyal. The young lion clutched his head, thinking, leaning on Sundar for support. He looked to Calin.

"It's your rescue. Your call." He asked the younger leopard, who balked.

"I… Umm… Well…"

"Do we try to make a break through one of the Harrin's Gateways that might or might not exist? Or do we continue on foot, and try to cross the Pridelands without being caught and killed along the way?" Danyal asked him. Calin's eyes widened. Then nodded, his expression seirous.

"We try for the Gateway. It's the only way we could get to them in time. If Marsade is alive, and knowns what you say he knows, then they _have _to know as soon as possible, or a very large amount of people are going to be killed in very small amount of time." Calin decided.

* * *

They found the gateway easily enough. Reasoning that if such a route was used often, there would be copious scent for them to pick up on, they simply followed their noses, so to speak, and found what could only be described as a path, where the dirt had been trampled underfoot so many times, the darker dust had been kicked up and now lay above the sun bleached, reddish dirt that littered the Outlands. It wound itself from the general direction of the Shai'tan's encampment and . Fortunately, the area was covered in boulders, rocks, and uneven terrain that this part of the Outlands was known for.  
Unfortunately, the area _was _guarded. Three wilddogs stood nearby, though only one looked attentive or alert. The others looked bored.

"I don't get it." One said to the others. "Why do we have to stand around all day? The Magic-y circle thingy only appears for a few moments every day. Rest of the time, it's a worthless patch of dirt. Why are we spending our time guarding a worthless patch of dirt? There isn't exactly a shortage of the stuff round here!" He said indignantly.

"Be grateful you've got an easy assignment. I have cousins among Asamode's troops, and he's one of the worst of the Shai'tan. Just as likely to kill you for sloppy work as the enemy. And we both get the same amount of meat for it. You telling me you preferred a life of hunting and scavenging to this?" He said, smirking. The original wilddog paused.

"Nah. This is much better." He said. The third wilddog snorted.

"You'd _never _have lasted long without it." He said. "Sure ya can do guard duty. You can rough up a few of the other animals when they need reminding _who _is in charge. But I saw you the last time you fought. It was pathetic." He said scornfully. The wilddog rolled his eyes.

"Ya keep telling yourself that. How many battle have _you _fought in?" He asked.

"More than you. You turn tail and run at the slightest resistance. No spine." He said. He was older, more experienced, and boasted a few scars. The younger dog rose at the challenge.

"Oh yeah? You think you're so tough? Prove it, you mangy, flea covered –"

"Guys – later. You want Lord Mortread to hear you've been fighting _each other _while on guard duty? Besides. They'll be plenty of time to prove your battle hardiness in the near future." Said the third wilddog, looking at his comrades disdainfully. Jahi, and Talib who had been crouched low, and prepared to attack, hesitated. What did this mean?

"Huh?"

"What do you mean?" The other two dogs asked in turn. The third shrugged.

"Just rumours. After those lions were caught, Lord Mortread will have us moving out soon. You can bet your paws." He said.

"You think we'll be attacking the rebels? That didn't end too well for that scouting party, did it?" The first asked in surprise, looking nervous.

"They were ambushed and taken by surprise. No… the biggest issue is that the rebels can follow us through these _magic circle things _as you put it. Which is why Mortread will have us moving to a new location soon." He said.

"Where?" The second asked also surprised. This was new information.

"Some rubble in the centre of the Pridelands. The Rebels can't be allowed to gain a foothold in the Pridelands, so we'll be moving around to keep them fractured and small. Otherwise, others will feel brave enough to help them. Mortread is keen for that _not _to happen. Given that we were explicitly order to _reduce _their numbers. In a violent, and bloody manner." He said.

"Rubble?"

"I don't know… The burnt out ruins of some old fortress of the Lion Kings or something. It's defensible, within sight of three of the main Watering holes, and slap-bang in the middle of the Pridelands. Even if it's just a rumour, it's a good choice."

"You know _a lot_ about the Shai'tan's strategy, Mwang." The first said.

"I was pups with Commander Harrin. I hear things sometimes. Mostly undecided rumours. If you hear the right things, you can work the rest out for yourself. Unless you have the brains of a hyena." He said, giving the first wilddog a disparaging glace.

They might have said more, but at that moment, a section of boulder Calin was hiding behind grumbled sending pieces of rock and stone rolling towards the wilddogs. At that exact moment, the wind changed, and the wilddogs suddenly became alert.

"Sundar, get that Gate Open!" Calin barked, as he and Jahi leapt over their hiding places and charged the confused wilddogs. One only managed to let out a quick bark of panic, before Jahi was on him, crushing him to the ground and mauling at his neck as the dog shouted in pain.

Calin, smaller than the fully grown dog dived, and slid easily beneath the second wilddog, who turned and snapped at him. Talib exploited the opening and struck, sending the dog retreating with blood leaking from his neck.

Forn was engaged with the third dog and the two canines seemed evenly matched. They barked and snapped at each other, ferocious jaws snapping and loud growls echoing around them.

Danyal might have helped, but he needed assistance to stand, and could only watch in frantic worry as the two younger leopards swipe and clawed at the much larger wilddog.

Sundar, for her part, was motionless, her eyes wide with concentration, unblinking. Tendrils of sapphire blue mist began to from around her, turning the air frigid, and her breath coming out like wisps of cloud with every exhalation of her lungs.

They moved their way through the air to where the darkened path stopped abruptly, and felt around. Past the air. Past the vacuum under it. Feeling space itself. Searching for tears. Holes. Some discrepancy she could exploit. Some kind of scar tissue in reality.

Then her senses caught on something. A ripple. A faint warping of reality, atoms wide.

Her eyes glimmered blue as she began to funnel her power through it. Twisting. She felt the space shimmer. Felt it vibrate, humming with energy. Light began to distort and she flared the well of her power within her, letting out a gasp as it pulsed through her, redoubling her efforts.

Forn struck at his foe, before ducking under the snap of jaws, and found his way under the guard. He pushed himself forward and bit down hard, his jaws closing with an almighty _SNAP_ and a crunch as he felt his mouth fill with blood, its hot metallic taste setting his senses alive with tingling.

He felt the _Thrill of the hunt _burn through him. His bloodlust, his killer instinct awakening. Jerking his head to the side, the unfortunate victim of his murderous intent was dragged along, limps going slack as the wounds reopened and more blood fell to the ground. He released the body of his foe to the ground, and turned.

Just in time to see Calin move an inch too slow, and see Talib's foe seal its own jaws around Calin's forepaw. The leopard shouted in pain.

Talib, gasping, dived forwards, taking advantage of the wilddogs singlemindedness in locking out the use of his own teeth by locking them around one of his two foes. His jaws stabbed deep, penetrating into the wilddogs flank. He shrieked in pain, lurching upwards and releasing Calin, who fell to the ground in agony. The dog twisted and writhed, and howled in pain as Talib clawed deeper into the miserable canine. Then, he plunged forward, and with a savage bite, bit into the dogs exposed neck. It stopped moving.

"Calin, are you okay?!" Talib called to the young leopard. Calin tried to climb to his feet, and shambled forwards on three legs. His forearm was bloody and painful to walk on but, as far as Talib could tell, it wasn't broken. It looked painful though, and Calin gasped short gulps of air, shaking with pain.

"I… ugh… I am fine!" He grunted, as Forn rushed to his aid.

Now heavily outnumbered, the last of the wilddog guards turned tail and ran, Jahi considered chasing after him, but after seeing Calin, shook his head.

Sundar's eyes glimmered blue, and she let out a shout as she felt her powers shift. Suddenly, where before she had encountered resistance, the fabric of reality now bent to her will.

With the sound of a thunderclap, the air in front of them burst into light, and the outline of trees, grasslands and greenery shimmered into existence through the gaping hole in universe before them. Sundar let out a sigh, exhausted. Danyal gave a weak smile, and stumbled forwards, nudging the injured Calin, and giving an encouraging smile.

"Come on… We'll make it." He said. And then small party, Jahi, Talib, Calin, Forn, Sundar and Danyal moved towards the opening. It sealed behind them, as Sundar extinguished her power, leaving the bloodied remains of the wilddog guards behind.

* * *

A short way away, behind the enclave of rocks, another shadowy collection of figures watched. Asamode looked to Marsade, the only biped of the figures.

"**_You think they'll figure it out from that?"_**

"Burnt out ruin, of a powerbase of the old Lion Kings? I can't see how they could interpret it as being anywhere else." Marsade replied.

"**_Good. You heard what Mortread said to Leviath. He intends to lure the rebels to Pride Rock, where he can destroy them all together. I am merely assisting in that idea. You could say I am doing him a favour… turning his failure our advantage."_**

"Don't flatter yourself. I expected them to escape long before they actually did. Sundar can't be as in control of her powers as she things she is. It would have been childplay for Halien, or Yessen to escape from such conditions." Marsade said.

"**_You knew they'd escape?"_** Asamode asked indignantly. Marsade shrugged. "I told you. I wanted to learn what she was capable of. What she could do." Marsade explained. Asamode growled.

"**_Watch yourself Shaman! I hope your little experiments don't endanger any other plans we might have."_** He said sharply. Marsade merely laughed at that.

"You have no idea do you? The power she wields. She is a Shaman. The same as Rafiki, the same as Yessen. Yet she wields _no _staff! No Rod! She is an echo. She has but a fragment of the might the Five can control, but be that as it may, she can control a fragment of the Power of Creation itself! The Power that sculpted the world from clay that set stars in motion. The Power that gave birth to galaxies and star clusters! And you only see in it, another tool for you to use to dominate this pathetic, single world." Marsade snapped. "You should count yourself lucky I was willing to relinquish control of her. She… is a mystery. An enigma. _What _is she? How can she _be?_" Marsade asked, sounding uncharacteristically troubled.

"**_We appreciate your sacrifice, Marsade."_** The third voice said. Eyes of burning flame bore into Asamode as he spoke again.

"**_Some plans, can have many layers, Asamode. The task of keeping a Shaman enthralled and enchained in captivity was _****always ****_an impossible one. The test was to see how Mortread attempted it. _****And he did not disappoint****_. This time." _**His eyes narrowed. **_"I sense this troubles you? Did you expect me to punish Mortread for his failure to trap one such as a Shaman?"_** The Emperor asked. Asamode didn't respond at first, sensing a loaded question when he heard it.

"**_I would have viewed the entrapment of a Shaman as an opportunity to defy expectation."_** Asamode said. "**_But_** **_who doesn't rejoice in the success of his peers?" _**Asamode asked, sarcastically. The Emperor looked at him, coldly.

"**Is it enough to know that Mortread acted precisely as I expected him to? Can you take pleasure from knowing that he played his part as predictably as a shadow puppet on a cave wall? He works well with my daughter." **The Emperor said.

'Oh, he works well with your daughter. For all your supposed omnipotence, there _are _things you are blind to, Emperor, and _that _is one of them!' Mortread thought. He was _certain_ the Emperor was ignorant of the youngest of the Shai'tan's illicit relationship. Mortread was still breathing for one thing.

'You think you can play everyone, like puppets, Emperor… But _I _do not dance to your tune. And that is _another _thing you remain ignorant of.

"**_Your wisdom knows no bounds, My Emperor."_** Asamode said, bowing his head, and biting back his instinctive, sharp tonged response.

"**_We are almost ready."_** Ben-Kai-Ra intoned. "**_Mortread moves his forces to Pride Rock. Asamode, you should do the same. I, in the meantime, shall do what I _****came ****_here to do. Speak to my daughter. In _****person. Your ****_opinion, _****Asamode. ****_Is she ready to lead, as Heir to the Empire? Or is she a liability to those she commands?" _**The Emperor asked.

Asamode could have danced for joy.

This opportunity.

To not only crush the rebels, but his rivals, and the last remaining heir to the Imperial Throne all in one swoop! The universe _itself _didn't seem able to stop his plans now.

"**Without a doubt, Emperor. She is ruthless, powerful, and without mercy. She will not fail you." **Asamode said, his silky smooth voice carrying the short distance, despite the low tone he spoke. The Emperor nodded, considering this.

"**Then s****_he too will have a role to play, in the destruction of this virulent infection that is this Rebellion. The trap is set. And soon, the Rebellion will pay. And then, Kiava will have _****nowhere ****_left to hide." _**The Emperor said, menacingly.

"_The trap is set. Indeed it, is Emperor, but for who?" _Asamode thought to himself as he stalked away. He didn't make eye contact with Marsade, but he felt the Orangutan's eyes on the back of his head as he moved away. "Indeed it is."

* * *

**AN:**

**Zuri's fight was pretty impressive, no? This was a good time to showcase what Zuri is capable of. It is one of the reasons that Kiava was so hurt by Sarafina's cruel treatment of Zuri – the fact that Zuri is a naturally gifted fighter. Kiava's talents are much more in the strategy, and intellectual side of ruling.**

**Also, we see the continuation of Danyal's "Rescue" that is now revealed to have been staged, without the knowledge of Mortread and Castella. Apparently, the Emperor was being kept abreast on the the situation by Marsade and he and Marsade fully expected a Shaman to escape eventually – Sundar's solution would of course, provide valuable intelligence on the capability of their rival Shaman.**

**And while Mortread's rather brilliant idea of how to turn this outcome to their advantage was entirely his own idea, it was predicted and preempted by Asamode and Ben-Kai-Ra, who are ready to add their own forces to Mortread's plan to make his plot all the more devastating.  
Of course, unbeknownst to Ben-Kai-Ra, Asamode has his own plans.**

**Like Scar playing with a Skull and Kiava bashing in Abyss's head with a rock, sometimes the characters are more… flexible… then what they ought to be able to do in real life. Scaling the side of a tower is one of these moments, but I've seen cats scale fences, even buildings in a similar manner, so hopefully this wasn't too distracting?**

**Mwang, is short for Mwanwi, which is Swahili for "Echo" reflecting his role as a method for the Shai'tan to leak information to the rebels.**

**This scene was originally going to have a greater involvement of Asamode and the Ligers, but it made no sense for them to be here guarding a disused Gateway. Don't worry. You'll see more of them soon.**

**In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're rapidly approaching the end of Book IV, so stay tuned people. **


	27. Chapter 26 - Born in Sin

"**Here you go people. Sorry about the delay. Thank you all for the reviews. There are some interesting theories on the future of the story – though of course, it is always my policy not to confirm or refute theories or ideas, so I can't comment on them.**

**I hope everyone is still having a blast."**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Born in Sin**

* * *

"Don't worry Inti. I am certain they'll be back soon." Almasi consoled her son, who was pacing up and down before her. He was irritable and short tempered as things stood. The orange maned young lion cub gave a snort at her optimism.

"I should have gone with them." He told her. Almasi stiffened, and tried not to give away what she thought of the idea. As much as she despised watching her son behave as if he were some kind of warrior, she had long since given up trying to make his choices for him. So instead, Almasi simply grimaced.

"For better or worse, you are known to the Shai'tan now. Lord Mortread would have known you instantly, as would a good number of the wilddogs under his command. They saw you fight in Golgorath. You made quite the impression on a number of them. I doubt many of them would have forgotten you so quickly." Almasi said in a worried tone. Inti sighed.

"I am just worried for Calin. He's young. Inexperienced. I shouldn't have agreed to let him go alone." He said, thinking of the young leopard cub. He had seemed eager to prove himself when they had decided on their course of action. Inti couldn't help feeling concerned for the young leopard. He had gone with two of the other leopards and as much as Inti liked them, he knew that Jahi and his family were still not popular among the former slaves. At least Forn was with him. He would keep the young leopard out of danger, surely?

"You aren't so experienced either." Alasmi chided him, and tried not to smirk as Inti scowled at her.

"Mum…" He almost whined, but stopped himself before he appeared childish. Almasi chuckled. The two lions were situated some distance from the rest of the animals, at the edges of one of the small water holes, but Inti still glanced in their direction as if embarrassed. Then his eyes narrowed.

"Oh. Hang on. Here comes trouble." Inti observed, and looked up at a pair of approaching figures. Almasi shot her son a disapproving look as Vitani and Yessen approached, wishing her son would show his elders some respect. She blamed Koron's influence. Yessen looked troubled, but Vitani looked angry, and to her surprise, seemed to be directing that infuriation at her son. Inti stood up as she approached.

"Almasi. Where is your daughter?" Vitani said sharply. Almasi blinked. "Sara? I believe she was with Koron. She and the young lion were going to go hunting. I thought it would help her keep her mind of things. She hasn't taken Danyal's capture well." Almasi said carefully. Vitani seethed.

"I want to speak to her when she returns. Do you know what your two children have done? Along with Koron, your cubs have, without so much as a _consultation_, elected to cobble together a half-baked plan to rescue Danyal and Sundar, and managed to place not only a leopard cub, but three others in danger too. And on top of that, they've taken Harrin!" Vitani said. Inti raised an eyebrow.

"Strictly speaking, Calin and Koron came up with most of the plan. I was _barely_ involved." He said in mock indignation. Vitani glared at him.

"I am not in the mood for games, Inti. You are old enough to know better than to try and do something like this yourself." She snapped.

"And I am not playing." Inti shot back. Vitani looked to Almasi.

"He is not my Son-" At that Inti gave a loud and visible shudder.

"-But Almasi, you have to see how dangerous this is! We are trying to get our forces to work _together_! Abusing authority to make reckless decisions like this undermines what we've worked for. I hoped that you two would be able to help the former slaves work together with the Asiatics but-"

"Vitani, don't worry. Calin will be careful. And if the situation changes, they'll pull out i_mmediately._" Inti said, trying to reassure her. Vitani just sighed in exasperation. He was as bad as Danyal, when he was younger!

"You had no right to make that decision!" She shot at him.

"It was Calin's decision." Inti retorted.

"Only because _you_ asked him!" Vitani shot back. Yessen sighed.

"If I may, friends. Something you need to remember Inti, is that when his parents were killed, who do you think it was that cared for him whilst he recovered?" The baboon asked.

"Sundar and Danyal of course!" Vitani said. "There is nothing that cub wouldn't do to help them at a time like this! He had _no _choice once you suggested it!" Vitani said. Inti looked at her.

"Are you suggesting that I exploited Calin's friendship with Danyal!"

"No! Just that he didn't have as big of a choice as you think he did." Almasi glared at Yessen.

"If you were so opposed to this plan, why didn't you stop them? You and Rafiki opened the Gateway in the first place!" She said. Yessen winced.

"I… didn't know their task was… unsanctioned." He said carefully, looking guiltily at Vitani who gave a grunt. She couldn't blame him for not checking personally. The scheming young cubs had pulled the wool over his eyes, and she got the feeling he wouldn't be the last.

"At least we did _something. _Even if it's not what you would have done." Inti said. And without another word, Inti and began to walk away. Vitani stared at Almasi.

"You knew." She said without asking. It was a statement of fact. Almasi nodded.

"I knew they had _a_ plan. I didn't know the details. Surely it was up to them whether to risk their lives in such a way. We make the same choice every day, don't we?" Almasi said softly. Vitani glowered at her.

"Would you be as calm as this, if Sara and Inti had gone? Talib is younger than Danyal is! Calin is a mere _cub._ If they're lives are put at risk because of this –"

"I _know, _Vitani. I _know _believe me_. _Damu knows. But _they_ were the ones who decided to take the risk, you can't blame Inti for that." She said.

"This is why we didn't discuss it with _you_, Vitani." Inti said shouted back over his shoulder, angry. "We come up with a plan to actually try and _help _Danyal, and all you do is worry about how it dangers it is! Well, maybe it _is _dangerous, and maybe it _is_ risky! But at least if Danyal and Sundar _are _killed, they won't die thinking that we just _left them there!"_ Inti snapped. Vitani looked at Inti, stunned. Almasi, for once, didn't defend Vitani. Her expression was one of torn indecision.

"You think I would have tried to stop you." Vitani said. Inti's frown deepened.

"Would you have? Or would you have chosen to leave Danyal where he was?" He asked her. Vitani looked hurt.

"You know I would never _choose_ to leave Danyal there!" She said. Almasi sighed.

"There is no need to argue among ourselves over this. We'll know soon enough, Vitani. The choice wasn't yours to make. Jahi and Forn are strong fighters, and Calin is a smart young cub. They'll do their best – and even if they fail… we have to believe that they will return to us safely." Almasi said. "Besides." She said. "At least they're doing something to rescue Danyal. That much, we can agree is important, yes?" She said. Vitani nodded, but looked pained.

"Inti… You can't keep making decisions like this by yourself. We're a Pride now… a… team. We need to work together, not have half a dozen different schemes going off at once! You need to involve everyone else. Do you understand that? Do you have _any _comprehension-" Vitani began. Inti rolled his eyes.

"Like you do? If you hadn't been scheming to marry off Sundar to Kiava, Danyal and Sundar would never have behaved so recklessly. They'd never have fallen into that trap if _you _had bothered to involve everyone else, Vitani." He said, giving an angry snarl. Vitani took a step backwards, her face contorting in rage.

"How dare you!" She gasped. "How dare you suggest-"

"Oh save it Vitani. You're not the Queen of the Pridelands, so you can spare me your –"

"Inti!" Almasi said, rising, looking at her son in fury. Inti hesitated, perhaps, sensing he had gone too far. Both lionesses bore down at him, and the orange maned lion cub gave a noncommittal shrug. And without another words, he turned around and left them where they stood. Vitani watched them leave, aghast.

"Does he really think so little of me?" She asked Almasi when he had disappeared. Almasi sighed.

"He's young, frustrated, and grieving."

"He's not the only one." Vitani snapped. "Why does everyone think that _I _don't feel the same loss, the same _pain_ as everyone else?! I've known Danyal just as long as you have – and no one has suggested that _you _would leave him in the claws of monsters like the Shai'tan!" She said, sounding hurt.

"When I thought that I'd never see Sara and Inti again, I blamed everyone. The Spirits, the Kings… Even myself." Almasi said quietly. "Damu _still _does that to this day. It should come as no surprise that he blames the person he sees as being 'in charge', for the situation we're in. It cruel, and unfair I know but…" Almasi said quietly. Vitani let lose a sigh.

"Kovu had me do one thing for him, Almasi. Just one thing. That was to protect his son. With Kiava missing, the _only _way I have _left_ to do that, is by being as big of a thorn to the Imperium as I can be, in the hope of keeping all of their strength fixed _here. _And give Kiava a few days more of life." Vitani said.

"You think he's still alive then?"

"I know it." She said, firmly. Then she sighed, shaking her head. "I can't _stop _leading these animals, Almasi. Not without leaving Kiava to fend for himself. But I can't sacrifice the lives of these brave fighters either. I can't risk an assault on the Shai'tan's forces. Because if we _lose _then we lose everything. The _moment _we stop being a threat to the Shai'tan, is the moment they dedicate themselves to hunting down my nephew and killing him. You know that, don't you? No matter how much I want to help Danyal and Sundar?" Vitani said. Almasi closed her eyes, thinking of Danyal. The young, brave lion to whom her cubs looked up to, to who she had come to treat as her own son. The thought of him paying with his life hurt her, but the thought of him being left alive at the Shai'tan's pleasures hurt her even more.

"I… Don't envy your decision, Vitani. I can't say that I would make the same one – because I don't know _what _would do in your position. But you've lead us this far. From day one. And you have _never _let us down. I don't think you're going to start any time soon. Inti is frustrated, and angry and grieving, and his is just a cub. He still has faith in you. We all do. He's still here, after all, isn't he?" Almasi said. Vitani nodded, encouraged by her words.

* * *

Away from the two lionesses, a second pair sat in much a similar position. Helio sat next to Damu. The older, former Outlander sat next to a bloodied gazelle, and Helio nodded to it, looking impressed.

"I saw you bring that down. Good kill." He said honestly. Helio lead the Asiatic huntresses, a fact that had perplexed Damu, for it was usually a role reserved for the females in the Pridelands. Notably, Kovu had been the first male, in many an age, to regularly hunt with the huntresses, before ascending the throne, first under Sarabi, and then when age made her unsuited to such a role, then under Nala. The two older lionesses had seen no problem with Kovu joining the hunt – nor for that matter had Damu, or the outlanders – but the younger lionesses, particularly of the Pridelands were uncomfortable with sharing the hunt with a male, considering it inappropriate. Damu had assumed the Asiatics had shared the tradition – for many of their traditions were similar, if not identical. The Asiatics didn't believe in the "Great Kings", so much as a general sense that _all _life, in some form or another continued to exist as Spirits. But the philosophy of the Great Circle of Life seemed identical to the principles of Worldly Balance the Asiatics followed. There were other similarities too. Mating rites, the treatment of Rouges, the Kingdoms, Mashindano, and others seemed to be held in common,

"Why thank you, Helio." Damu said, smiling despite herself. "I've witnessed your hunts too – on more than one occasion. Most impressive." She returned the compliment. Helio nodded.

"Any word yet from Vitani about Sundar and Danyal?" He asked her carefully. Damu shook her head. His eyes lowered, disappointed.

"No. None yet. Something soon though, I am sure." She said. Helio sighed.

"I just hope that they are safe. I… I didn't part on good terms with Sundar. I doubt Danyal has a very high opinion of me right now, either." He admitted. Damu shot him a quizzical look and he elaborated at her expression. "I tried to persuade Sundar that she ought to do as Vitani and Lukaan suggested and become Kiava's Queen. It wouldn't have been as bad as she thought it, and I lost my patience with the idea that she wouldn't make that sacrifice when we are all prepared to sacrifice our lives on a daily basis. I understood that it wasn't what she _wanted_ but… I guess… I guess I've been fighting for so long I've grown used to the idea of doing things we'd rather not, in the name of survival. We're all prepared to give our lives for this cause. Next to that? This didn't seem like such a bad cost. Sundar… Didn't take it well." He said, putting it mildly. Damu winced, sympathetically.

"She was your friend, right?" She asked him.

"Yes. Was." He said. Damu smiled.

"Well then… If she knows you half as well as you know her, she'll _know _what you meant. What you hoped to achieve. She'll know your heart. No matter what terms you parted on, she'll know how you feel. She won't hold it against you." Damu said honestly.

"You think so?" He asked, curious.

"I know so. People are funny things, and often much more forgiving then you'd expect. It takes a lot more than you'd think it would, to ruin a friendship that strong and that old." She told him.

"Hmm." Helio nodded. "Thank you, Damu. That was… helpful." He said, and stood up to leave. Damu watched him go, thinking. In many ways, he reminded her of Zuri. Both could be single mindedly determined. Both had their flaws. But both were both devoted to their friends, and their family. She wondered where she was now. Far from the Pridelands, hopefully. She wondered if she would ever see her again. Damu was still. She didn't cry. There were no tears to be shed over this. She had come to terms with her daughter's disappearance a long time ago. Was she even still alive?  
Of course she was. Zuri was with Kiava. That was what all the signs had said. That was what Rafiki had said, from what little he had been able to divine of her general location. And if Kiava was alive, then so was Zuri. That made perfect sense.  
For some reason, she never doubted whether Kiava was alive.

For one thing, she knew for a fact that the Imperium would announce it to the entire world, if that were true. And that was because of the second thing she knew for fact.

The death of Kiava would shatter the spirt of the rebels. Already demoralized by the disappearance of Danyal (who many thought to be Kiava anyway), the confirmed death of Kiava would be a crippling blow to their resistance.

So where did that leave them?

"Stay safe… Zuri… Wherever you are…" She muttered to the air. "And when you see these lands again… I will have made them safe for you." She said, mostly to herself. She hesitated, as she stood up. There was something… off, about the situation. She sniffed the air. Then her eyes narrowed. The air was still and she could smell for a considerable distance.

"Blast it…" She muttered, and ran at full pace.

"Come along Sara! Keep up!" Koron shouted over his shoulder, giving a faint smirk as he did so. Sara ran a few paces behind him, panting, and scowling as she did so.

"I am _fine _Koron! Keep your eyes on the _prey _not _me!" _She snapped, looking irritated at what was clearly Koron showing off. Ahead of them, a young Impala ran at full pelt, in clear panic. Koron and Sara were gaining on it, but lions could only run for so long, before they needed to rest. Prey could run for much longer distances, and if they didn't close the gap soon, they would need to give it up.

"Hey Sara! Watch this!" He shouted, and made a grab for the Impala. The horned creature weaved and darted off at an angle, and Koron crashed into the ground nearby with an almighty _thwamp._

Sara slowed and stopped next to Koron, who it appeared had landed on his face.

"Well. Consider me impressed." She said, completely without a trace of sarcasm. Koron got to his feet and brushed himself off, looking faintly embarrassed.  
"Ehh… Normally that works." He said, looking flushed. Sara gave a laugh.

"I am sure." She said helping him to his feet. She looked to where it creature had fled and sighed.

"It got away." She noted. Koron shrugged.

"There will be other hunts. Besides, Helio and Damu went hunting earlier, there will be food for this evening." He said. Sara blinked. Someone else was hunting? Then why had they come out in the first place? She looked confused.

"Umm… Then why are we here?" She asked.

"What? What are we out hunting when the others are gathering food for today? Well, I thought you needed a break from worrying yourself about our friends."

"Koron! Were you trying to keep me _distracted?" _She asked in shock. Koron gave a shy smile.

"Well… Yes? Did it work?" he asked. Sara stared at him. Then burst into laughter.  
"Yes Koron. Yes it did. I haven't felt so… _free… _in a long time." She said. Koron smiled, glad he had been of help. Sara had been silently worrying herself over Danyal and Sundar ever since they'd vanished into the Gateway Sundar had picked open and it had taken some time for her to come to terms with it. "I've had… fun… today." She decided. "Thank you Koron." She said. Koron nodded.

"Listen, Sara," he began, but was interrupted by a growl. Instantly, the two cub's heads snapped around to see the approaching form of Damu. Koron cocked his head in confusion.

"Damu, what is-?"

"Move. Wilddogs. I smell them." Damu said sharply as she passed them. The two cubs jolted to their feet immediately and ran after her. Koron glowered, whilst Sara looked panicked.

"Where are the others!?" She shouted to Damu as they ran. Damu didn't know, and wanted to reassure her, but said nothing.

* * *

Within a short space of time, they'd returned to Five Stones, and located Vitani, who was still fuming from her argument with Inti. When she saw Sara and Koron (the other two principle architects of Calin's harebrained scheme to rescue Danyal) she hesitated. But before she could say anything on the matter, Damu rushed up to her.

"Wilddogs are incoming." She said urgently. Vitani's eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

"I don't know. I think one or two. Probably a scout. We need to be ready."

"Or we go after the scout before it returns to its masters." Vitani said. Perhaps Inti was right. Perhaps she should be more aggressive in their tactics. Damu paused.

"Why risk it? They know we are here anyway." She pointed out. Vitani nodded.

"That doesn't mean we should let them send spies whenever they like at no risk to themselves. We have no reason to give them more information than they already have." Vitani said. Damu nodded, agreeing with that's logic. He looked to Koron, Sara, and number of other former slaves and Asiatics who had gathered at the sound of urgency and commotion.

"Helio, Darina, Koron, you three come with me." Damu said, unsheathing her claws. Koron looked at Sara, then nodded firmly, and followed after them. The small group of animals ran back in the general direction of where Damu had arrived from, hoping to track down and capture or kill the scouts. Although Calin and Koron may have facilitated Harrin's disappearance, the remaining half dozen dogs were still kept in confinement in the small cave nearby, so for once, they had the resources to keep prisoners. They could be used as barter – on the off chance the Shai'tan gave a hornbills beak about the lives of their underlings. Otherwise, there remained the possibility of extracting useful information of some kind form them. Though not all of the animals were in favor keeping prisoners, they had not yet degenerated to the point of executing defenseless prisoners.

The wind changed, and the smell of wilddog became more distinct. They rounded a hill, and Damu paused. They were nearby. She could _smell _them. There was another faint tank to the wind too. The metallic twist of fresh blood?

"This way…" Koron said, taking the lead, his own claws unsheathing in a moment, a familiar rage coming up to the boil within him. _There. _He could see shapes moving ahead of them.

"_Go."_ He ordered, and leapt up, claws drawn and teeth bared, charging towards… _Jahi?_

The leopard dropped into a crouch, his own teeth showing as he let lose a whole, his expression freezing upon seeing the darker cub.

"_Koron?"_ Jahi asked, in surprise. Koron skidded to a halt for the second time that day, even as his comrades jumped at him.

"Jahi! Guys it's okay!" Koron said, staring at their missing friends. Then he noticed the others. Forn was there, the grizzled wilddog was bleeding from half a dozen wounds, and looked even more grumpy then normal. Talib was nearby too, the younger leopard was standing next to Calin, who was limping badly on one leg and seemed to be almost leaning on the adolescent leopard. And between them, stood Danyal.

"Danyal!" Damu shouted in shock, forgetting completely to call him by his assumed title. This was no time for schemes or plots. The lioness rushed to the injured lion, and who nearly sank to his knees at the sight of her.  
The young lion's face burst into a grin of pure relief when he saw the cub and the lioness. He looked gaunt and pale. His body covered in bruises, marks, and shallow cuts that stood out over his other familiar scaring that crisscrossed and lined the rest of his body. Dark welts stood up and visible, and Koron looked him up and down in shock.

"Your Majesty!" Darina exclaimed, moving to try and be of help. She looked at Calin and Jahi in amazement. "You actually did it… You did it." She said, somewhat shaken by the realization. Calin almost laughed aloud to himself. He had, hadn't he?

"Sundar!" Helio rushed to her, a thousand questions on his mind. "How did-" He was cut off by Calin's excited yell.

"Our plan worked Koron! It worked! You were right! Forn walked right passed them. And Harrin got us in passed the guards, it worked!" Calin said excitedly, forgetting his pain for the moment.

"_Worked _is a loose definition." Jahi said dryly. "You and I remember those final few moments _rather _differently." He said. It had been rather touch and go for the last few moments that was true.

"We can tell them all about it later Calin." Talib encouraged him. Calin nodded and Darina moved to help Forn. Helio continued to help Sundar even as Koron and Damu moved to

"You look terrible." Koron said bluntly.

"Well, I feel pretty rotten as well, actually." Danyal said. Next to him stood Sundar. She also sported light injuries, but seemed to have escaped the most harm of the prisoners. The lioness laughed as Helio helped her move.

"We'll get you all to a Shaman. Great Kings, Danyal… I don't believe this! What happened out here?"

"A great many things… I discovered a lot of things that I didn't know."  
"Oh you don't know the half of it…" Sundar added.

"We ought to get you to Vitani and the others as soon as we can then…" Damu said. Danyal bristled.

"Oh yes. _That _would be a good start." He said.

The group arrived at the main encampment, to shouts of astonishment and jubilation. Cries of shock and welcomed shouts of amazement. It quickly became apparent that the majority of those creatures who remained at Five Stones had been unaware of the impending rescue mission.

"Your majesty!"

"King Kiava!"

"I don't believe it!" There were jubilant shouts as more and more came to see what all the fuss was about. Then, giving the loudest shouts so far, Sara and Inti leapt up as they saw them. The two cubs rushed over, and Koron grinned as he saw them approach.

"Danyal!" Sara shouted and rushed up to the young lion. "You are alive! Thank the kings!" She seemed almost overcome as she rushed towards him and pressed her face into his fur, ignoring the dirt and blood that covered his pelt. "I thought… I feared… I can't…" She stumbled back, and Danyal knelt gently next to the young cub.

"Hey there Sara." And nudged the cub's fur behind her neck. Sara let out a laugh, her eyes shining as Koron chuckled. The darker cub gave a satisfied nod as he saw them. Inti let out a whoop and also embraced the older lion. Those looking couldn't help but smile.

"Sundar!" Lukaan had arrived. The others gave a white male a wide berth as he approached, staring at his daughter as if he had seen a ghost. Sundar starred at him, for the moment consumed with thoughts of their last meeting, their argument, and the anger and bitteness with which they had fought when Lukaan had announced her impending nuptials.

"Dad!" She couldn't keep the relief from her voice as she laid eyes on him. Hearing that seemed to decide matters for Lukaan, because the older white lion charged towards the escapees with tears in his eyes.

"Sundar! Sundar, my girl, _thank the Spirits!"_ She had never seen the white lion so happy, so full of joy. Nearby, Damu gave a nod of satisfaction, and something passed between the two of them. As Damu had predicted, his daughter had returned to them. Maybe one day, hers would return to her as well.

"Daddy…" Sundar said quietly, and smiled, and the white lion nuzzled her as he often had when she was a mere cub. The old king seemed so relieved. "I am sorry! I am so _so sorry! Please forgive me."_ He apologized, his voice echoing with guilt and misery. Their last interaction had been a brutal argument over his daughter's future, and then she had been gone. Snatched away. How that must have weighed upon his soul? To imagine that the last conversation he had with his beloved daughter, had been where they had argued so fiercely. He almost seemed to be weeping, and Danyal couldn't blame him. Sundar returned her father's affection, shaking her head. Of _course _all was forgiven.

"Dad. Its okay… I promise. We'll figure this out, together. It's okay." She said, though she was pale with relief and shock.

Then the other creatures began to swarm about Calin and Talib and Jahi and Forn. The four who had rescued their King, excitedly demanding they spill the whole story as to what had happened!

"How did you get away?" Lukaan asked them, through shaking breaths. And Danyal retold how the Pridelanders had arrived, and their confrontation with Castella-Ra.

"We took a gamble through a Gateway, and emerged a few miles away, near the Zulu River. It wasn't guarded, so we counted ourselves lucky, and followed the River back to Five Stones… Where Damu mistook us for some Imperial scouts." Danyal filled him in. The white male shook his head in amazement.

"Vitani!" Sara gave as shout. "Quickly! Vitani, they're _back!" _Sara shouted eagerly. The crowds parted once more, and made way for the regent. Vitani moved into view, and she was flanked by Almasi and the two Shaman. When Danyal saw her, he felt something twinge. A flash of anger. A coldness he hadn't been expecting.

"Danyal!"

"You're alive!" They both exclaimed at once. Almasi's face lit up like the sun and she charged into the unfortunate lion with almost as much enthusiasm as her cubs had.

"Almasi-"

"Oh thank the kings you're okay. Did they hurt you? What happened?"

"Almasi-"

"I am so glad you are safe! I had faith in Calin and the others, but I am so glad you are alright-" And the young mother began to lick the blood from some of the wounds, prompting Danyal to tense, and flinch away. The Shaman rushed to the injured ones, firstly seeing to Calin, whose youth immediately cause for concern, though their poking and prodding soon began on Danyal too, much to his irritation making him flinch in pain.

"Almasi! Please, later…" He pleaded, and the lionesses nodded, understanding. She was grinning from ear to ear though as she raised her eyebrow to Vitani. "I _told _you so." She said to her. Vitani approached the others, and gave a smile.

"Welcome home." She said to the two of them. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you are still in one piece. Are the others okay?" She asked, looking concerned. Danyal nodded.

"Superficial wounds… Though Calin has suffered a fracture in one of his limbs." Rafiki said, seeing to the injured.

"Hello Vitani. Did you miss us?" Calin said, limping towards her.

"Calin!" Vitani looked shocked, her eyes drawn to his injuries. "That… That was an inexcusably reckless, foolish, _stupid, _thing to do. Don't _ever _think about charging off like that again, you'll get yourself killed!" Vitani almost shouted, restraining herself. Calin chuckled though, completely ignorant, or indifferent to her criticism.

"I know, I know. I was reckless and foolish, yes. But look who I brought back?" He asked. Vitani shook her head in amazement.

"Vitani." Danyal said. But was unsure of what else to say. It was different. Things had changed. He felt an odd mix of emotions when he looked at his… aunt. That was right. Vitani was his father's sister. She was his aunt now too. There was no familial bond there though. No defining link that Kiava felt. Vitani had been Danyal's superior beforehand. Their fractious relationship felt more distant than ever. She was Regent-Ruler of his Pride. Not his equal. And not his family. Nothing had changed. The bitterness he felt in that surprised him. He hadn't had such a vengeful attitude before, but now, he felt something stirring deep within him. Something hot and dangerous. Something simmering with fury.

"Danyal…. Thank the kings you are all safe, you and Sundar too." She said.

"Calin rescued me. You shouldn't be hard on him because he did something brave." Danyal told her, with slightly more coldness then he'd intended. How just like her to immediately reprimand a young cub Vitani rolled her eyes. _Of course _the young lion would leap to the cub's defense. They were so alike, they could have been siblings, were it not for their species.

"His courage isn't where I take issue." Vitani explained, wearily. "I just don't want him making a habit of reckless missions into Shai'tan strongholds without any consultation, or planning or _input _from the rest of us." She said. Smirking, she looked Danyal up and down. "In some ways, he reminds me of you as a cub. He's eager for battle. Hungry for glory. Desperate to prove himself." She said. Danyal raised his eyebrows at the comparison. _Desperate? _For a moment, he just looked at her trying to sort out his emotions. At his expression, Vitani's eyes softened, clearly aware something was wrong.

"Danyal… Are you quite sure you are alright?" She said, clearly doubtful. "You don't need to put on a brave face for the benefit of the rest of us." She said quietly. Danyal grunted, likcing his lips, thinking on the injuries he had sustained. The worst of them, Sundar had healed, but he was still covered in blood and filth, and a number of injuries remained open to the elements, sending silent spasms of pain through him as he moved. He gritted his teeth.

"No. Vitani… there are things you should know. Things you need to hear." He said, wincing in pain. Vitani saw his expression, and shook her head, giving a soft sigh of sympathy.

"We can do that later, Da-Your majesty.. There will be time for all that later. We've just got you back, first let's make sure you stay-." Vitani said.

"No, Vitani, _now. _It's important. _" _Danyal said urgently. Vitani, hearing his tone, hesitated.

"What is the matter?" She asked finally.

"Marsade is alive. The Shaman _lives." _Danyal said, looking to Rafiki. The two Shaman looked at each other, aghast.

"What?!"

"That's not possible!" Yessen exclaimed. "We saw him die! He was ripped apart!" He said. Rafiki closed his eyes, and let out a sigh.

"Rafiki should have known it would never be that simple…" He said.

"How can Marsade still be alive?" Vitani asked in shock. "You told me that he was dead." She accused Rafiki. Rafiki grimaced.

"He must have used some form of illusion to fool Rafiki. This means he's had weeks to do whatever black arts he has been doing. He'll be stronger now than ever before." Raffiki said.

_Of course. _Danyal's expression turned into a snarl.

"He's alive alright. He _tortured _me. The things he did…" He shuddered. Vitani's eyes widened.

"Danyal. I need you to focus. And I need you to listen to me. What did you tell him? And before you begin, know this: There is no shame in… breaking… under him. We all know what Marsade is capable of and there is not a soul here who would think less of you for it. . But we need to know, what you told them."

"I didn't tell them anything…" Danyal said, glancing to Sundar, who had remained silent up till now. Vitani looked closer at his injuries and gave an audible gasp of air. There was no way he had remained silent under such duress.

"Danyal, you've got enough wounds to-"

"I didn't _say _anything." He said. "But… Marsade was able to draw it out of me anyway." Danyal admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he used his magic to attack my _mind!" _Danyal said. He shuddered at the moment. _"_I felt him clawing away inside my skull! He took everything I knew, everything I'd seen, and molded it like clay in his hand. He knows about everything you've schemed. About the Kingdom, and about the King. He knows _all _about me and Sundar and you. Everything I knew, he now knows. He tore it from me." Danyal said bitterly.

"Is such a thing even possible?!" Vitani asked Yessen. The baboon looked repulsed by Danyal's description.

"I… Suppose so. Margane was the one who studied how we think… But as far as I remember theoretically every mental impulse has a… physical… reason. Every thought, every _feeling_ has a _physical_ reflection in your head. But to translate that into something you could understand… to actually _invade_ the mind of another to such a degree, would require something _insanely powerful. _Or dark magic of the most repulsive kind." He said, sounding disgusted at the very idea.

"Somehow, I don't think that's an issue for Marsade." Vitani said dryly. "I guess we'll have to move out soon. If this location is no longer secure then we can't hang around waiting for the Shai'tan to turn up. Mortread will be on us in hours." She said.

"No… I don't think so. He has some other game. We overheard a pair of wilddogs during our escape. He's pulling troops out of the Outlands, and regrouping them somewhere else, somewhere within the Pridelands_. "The burnt out ruins of some old fortress_", they said. You know they can only mean one place." He said.

Vitani flinched and stared at him. Surely he didn't mean…

"No."

"Yes. You know where they are going." He said. Vitani shook her head.

"They _can't. _There is nothing left there! Why would they do that? What is left for them to destroy? What is left to defile? What purpose could going there serve? Why can't they leave the dead in peace?" Vitani asked, aghast.

"What's the matter?" Sundar asked. "Where are they going?"

"The Shai'tan's armies. Mortread. He's moving his troops _into_ the Pridelands. Into their very heart. Before they ripped it out. He's stationing his forces at Pride Rock." Danyal said with certainty. Vitani was cold. Of course. It was obvious. Pride Rock. She felt bile rising in her throat.

"Pride Rock. Our home." She said softly. There was a chill among the animals that had gathered. Then, Vitani jerked her head.

"Everyone. We're all happy to see our King returned to us. Now he needs healing and rest, and we need to plan." She said. The dismissal was clear even to the untrained ear, and the party began to disperse, as Vitani turned to Danyal.

"With me." She barked the order, and Almasi began to help Danyal move inside.

* * *

They moved into the den where they could discuss matters more privately.

Once there, Sundar and Danyal filled in the others on everything they had learnt, beginning again from their capture – which Yessen was now able to realize, had been Marsade's black sorcery. The fact that Mortred was moving his troops, the discovery of Marsade's survival. And the presence of Castella-Ra. The solution to the riddle of the Emperor's Jewel didn't seem to shock Vitani, who simply nodded, accepting the information. Perhaps she had never believed that this fabled "thing the emperor cares most for" would be discovered, or perhaps she had always believed it to be something other than the fables _weakness _to Ben-Kai-Ra that some of the others had hoped for. He described, clinically and in detail, what Marsade had done. This did provoke a reaction from Vitani, who seemed both disgusted that Danyal had endured such torture, and at the same time, horrified at the idea of the secrets plundered from his mind. The idea that no secret they kept was safe if they were captured troubled her deeply.

"Danyal… I can't believe you suffered that. I… want you to know how relieved we all are that you are safe." Vitani said. "You should go and rest. Go and heal. You've done well, Danyal." Vitani said

"Vitani… There is more." The lion said, an odd tone leaking into his voice now. Almasi's head jerked up at his voice, sensing something troubling him.

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

"After Marsade was finished with me… He was free to… indulge himself. He needed to keep me alive to use as leverage against Sundar. But there are many things between life and death." Danyal said.

"What?" Rafiki frowned in puzzlement. "You mean he kept hurting you after he'd ripped out your memories of the last few days? Whatever _for?" _He said, feeling bile rise in his throat. Danyal was quiet, but it was Sundar who spoke. She looked at Danyal, her eyes filling with tears.

"He wanted to hurt Danyal because he knew he was a friend of Rafiki's… And he wanted to send a message." She said briskly. Rafiki looked at Danyal in shock.  
"Oh king's mercy… Danyal Rafiki is so sorry." Whilst Yessen's jaws parted into a revolted snarl.

"Don't be. It wasn't you who hurt me. It was Marsade." Danyal said uncomfortably. "Besides. Those last few hours are something of a blur. I don't remember much of it." He said. Sundar blinked. She knew he was lying.

"How do you know why Marsade does anything?" Vitani asked them. Danyal swallowed.

"Oh, he made sure he was perfectly clear on his _reasons._ He did more than just _hurt _me, Vitani. The Shai'tan are brutes, they understand pain. But what Marsade did… He made me see things from his perspective. He showed me _his _universe. How he sees the world. Through his eyes. He hates you both _so much_…" thinking back, he remembered the intensity with which Marsade had spoken. The malice with which he had remembered the two. To compare that with the compassionate and kind form of Marsade when he was with Jino and the rest, was something else entirely. Scar. Zira. Marsade. They had all been good creatures once. But their souls had been twisted into something monstrous. Danyal shuddered. "He _hates _you both, for what you did! He won't ever forgive you for that. Rafiki for what he did… and Yessen for what he didn't." Danyal said.

"What do you mean? What we did?" Rafiki asked cautiously, as Yessen's eyes widened. Danyal stared at the old ape, whilst Vitani looked on in confusion.

"He showed you. He showed you the War. The First Imperium." Yessen realized. The others looked in shock at that pronouncement. Danyal however, swallowed, and nodded.

"He showed me… a glimpse of the past. Into the lives of the ancient lion kings. I know about Jino and Kono and the family Marsade stayed with. Long before Judai and Mohatu. I know about High-King Kwanza."

The air was still. Then, eventually, Rafiki spoke.

"Those are names I haven't heard in… eons." He said quietly. And Danyal was started to see tears in his eyes. "For so long I told myself I was right." Rafiki said. His voice was soft, and low. He had abandoned his habit of speaking in third person. "That I'd made an impossible decision… But now… now I look at the Imperium and I have to wonder… how much did I really change? How much did I really stop? Was it really worth it all? Was what I did… _right?_ " Rafiki said. "How much… How much did you witness?" He said, almost sounding fearful.

"I saw enough to know you sides with the enemies of the Shai'tan once before. I saw enough to know that you sided with Marsade. I don't know happened to make you enemies again." Danyal said. Rafiki looked at him.  
"Good." He said firmly, looking relieved

"What happened? What did you do?"

"Something terrible. I fear I made a mistake. A terrible, dreadful mistake." Rafiki said. He left it at that. He stood up. "Or perhaps not. It is not for I to judge that. Rafiki shall go and assist the injured. It is good to see you again, Lord Danyal." Rafiki said. And left without another word. Danyal had the distinct impression that Rafiki was spooked. The shaman both left and finally, Danyal was left along with Almasi and Vitani. Then, Almasi herself left the cave, to check on her cubs.

* * *

When they were relatively alone, Danyal spoke again.

"Vitani."

"What is it, Danyal?" Vitani answered, hearing the change in his tone.

"You ought to know something." He said, forcing himself to remain calm. How could he explain this? How could he tell her? For a moment, he considered saying nothing. Considered staying silent. But he couldn't. He couldn't hide this. He couldn't pretend it hadn't happened.

"When Marsade did… whatever he did… to me, it lasted for a while. I didn't just see visions of the Old Imperium, and the Shaman. I saw… I saw the Outlands." He told her. He closed his eyes, thinking to everything he had seen.

"You saw… the Outlands?" Vitani repeated, confused.

"I saw the Outlanders. I saw Zira's followers. I saw _you. _And Kovu. And Nuka. And Zira. And I saw my mother." Danyal said quietly. Vitani became still. She turned to Danyal, eyes wide.

"Kulana…" She whispered. Danyal nodded his head.

"I got to see my mother. I _saw _her. Vitani… Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you even knew my mother? Why – whenever I asked about her – did you never once mention that you were her _friend_?" he asked her. It didn't make sense. He couldn't understand. Why would she do that? Vitani looked down.

"I... Don't wish to discuss it." She said firmly. "You should go see one of the Shaman… You're not fooling anyone… I can see you are barley keeping it together. You shouldn't be moving around." She said, and moved as if to help him to one of the healers. Danyal shook her off though, feeling an unexpected surge of anger as he drew breath,

"Vitani! I have a _right_ to know!" He said loudly. Vitani said nothing.

"No. As a matter of fact, you _don't." _She said coldly. "What happened between Kulana and myself is between Kulana and myself. It has _nothing _to do with you, so why not let the last be the past and be done with it?" She asked him. Another flare of anger stirred within him.

"Because she's my mother and I want to know why you didn't ever admit you even _knew _her!" Danyal snapped. He couldn't believe this.

"Danyal… I am _tired. _I am relieved that you are safe. We can do this another time, but I really don't think –" She tried.

"Vitani, you _owe _this to me! She was your _friend!"_ Danyal said again, his patience waring thin. So to, it seemed, was Vitani's, for she too drew a sharp intake of breath.

"She wasn't my friend! She _left _us!She ran away and _left _us, she was a _coward!_" Vitani snarled, bearing her teeth. Danyal took a step back, stunned into silence, his anger vanishing as it was overcome with shock. His eyes were wide and he stared at Vitani's even as her own eyes fell and inwardly she screamed at herself. Danyal stared at her. "She… She gave up on our friendship, the day she decided to have _you_ somewhere where my mother couldn't find us. She chose _you_ over her friends, over her family, over those who _needed _her. She didn't want me for a friend. Why should I have lied to you, by saying she was mine?" Vitani asked him. Danyal stared at her.

"You know that's not true. Vitani… She was _always _your friend. Long after she had me, and long before as well. My mother loved you like a sister." Danyal told her. Vitani's expression was cold.

"And how would you know? Could you read minds, as well as see the past?" She snapped.

"I know because she _told _me. I didn't just see the past, Vitani, I spoke to my mother's _spirit. _I heard her words from her own mouth!" Danyal told her.

Vitani stared at him. Then she began to laugh. The sound was so unexpected, so surprising, that Danyal felt his mouth drop open.

"You? _You _have spoken to the Spirts of the dead?" She chuckled at the idea. Danyal felt his face flush red at her incredulity, almost with embarrassment. She thought him foolish.

"Yes… Is it so surprising?" He asked her, feeling uncomfortable. Seeing he was serious, Vitani's expression faded. "Danyal! Are you sure you are feeling alright? Perhaps, I ought to send for Rafiki… if you think you've been seeing things then -"

"I am _not _mad. I saw her. I spoke to her. I _know _it was her." Danyal said, urgently. Vitani's eyes narrowed, and she brushed off his words.

"Stop it. You couldn't have. Don't lie about something like this, Danyal, please. Marsade had been messing with you rhead, making you see all the things he wanted you to see, its no small wonder you saw things _you _wanted to see as well… but that is all they were… all they could have been. Visions. Nothing real." She said.

"It _was _real! What on earth makes you think I would lie about this?"

"The Spirits of the Great kings can't speak to us. That's superstitious nonsense. I don't know if there is any life after death, Danyal – and that ignorance torments me daily when I think that I alone of my family survived this slaughter, but for the love of the kings, the youngest cub knows that the Spirits and Mortals _don't _interact! They can't! They can't hear us. They can't appear to us. You saw what you wanted to see in a time of hardship and suffering, and for that I am very, very sorry, but you saw your own ghosts. Not real ones." Vitani said, looking at him sadly. She pitied him. She actually pitied him. That fact hurt Danyal more than anything she'd said so far.  
"What makes you so sure on that? Did you become an expert on Spirits whilst I was being acquainted with Marsade's experience in agony?" Danyal asked her.

"Because they _can't_!" She said, feeling her frustration rise.

"Why can't they?!"

"BECAUSE MY BROTHERS WOULD NEVER ABANDON ME!" Vitani exploded, letting lose a roar. "Kovu would _never _have left me like this if he could speak to me! Mother would never have remained silent if she knew or cared how much I had lost in her death! _Nuka _would never hate me so much as to leave me with that guilt for so long if he possessed the power to _speak _to me! Even for a moment! The briefest of glimpses! WHY would the spirits of the dead speak to _you _and not to anyone else? Why wouldn't my family speak to _me?! _Why does no one think _I have_ loved ones? Why does everyone think I am incapable of grieving!? Why would your family appear to you in your time of darkness and not mine? Or am I so despised by even the dead that my own family would leave me _like _this? Trying to juggle three armies who hate each other's guts together to fight a war I can't _possibly _win, for the sake of a cub I don't know is alive and a crown and a kingdom that _I don't believe in anymore?"_ She breathed out. Danyal growled.

"I can't answer that! You _know _can't! But I do _not _lie, Vitani!" He said angrily. "After all I've been through, haven't I earned that much trust?" He asked of her. Vitani stared at him. "You know the real reason why Kulana left her home, left her friends. It was because of your mother. She drove her away. You blame Kulana, where really it's was you and your mother she feared." Danyal said. Vitani looked away.

When she spoke, she spoke clearly and quickly, and Danyal could tell that this was a subject she had never spoken to another. Vitani moved towards him, but Danyal took a step back, keeping the gap between them.

"Yes…" She admitted. "Your mother believed that Zira would consider you a threat. She believed that Zira would have ordered you killed you upon your birth. She ran away because of that, and left the rest of us to starve. And I never saw her again, until she died." Vitani said. Danyal stared at her. So it was true. Vitani hadn't forgotten his mother. She had known her, just as he had seen. And all those years, all those days, she had said nothing. When he, a mere cub, had cried himself to sleep over his mother's death, she had said nothing. We he had grown up alone, estranged, beholden to no one, with no familial ties, she had said nothing. When he had wanted to know more about his parents, she had remained silent, pretending to never know her. Damu had known of her, but hadn't been her friend. Vitani had been the closest thing Kulana had to a sister. And in all that time, had never bothered, not once, to share any of those memories with Kulana's legacy.

"And you never told me. You never told me _anything _about my mother. You knew her so well, and you couldn't… Did you even _consider _that I would want to know? Know about my mother? She told me stories. She told me stories of Pridelands. Of Scar, and Mufasa, and Zira. Of Ahadi and Mohatu. But she never said a word about what she endured under Zira's rule. She never told me _her _story. You wanted it buried. Forgotten. Because of how it shames you. If you had recognized Zira's madness for what it was there and then… if you had realized the lengths Zira was prepared to go to… You could have rebelled against your mother's rule. You could have brought peace to the Pridelands. And Kulana would still have been alive." Danyal asked of her, incensed. Vitani glared at him.

"Do you blame me for your mother's death?" Vitani asked him. Danyal paused. He hadn't until now. Truly, he hadn't considered it at the time. But it was perfectly clear to him, looking back, that Kulana's big fear, had been that Vitani – always the most loyal of Zira's children – would have told Zira of his birth. And had his true parentage been revealed, Kulana had known that Vitani would never dare act against her mother. If Zira had chosen to end Danyal's life as a threat to the Outlanders, Vitani would not have stopped her. She had remained, until that fateful day, Zira's staunchest ally. Nuka had at least recognized the potential of Zira's actions, even if he'd remained devoted to her, and to her cause. He had done what he could to help Kulana. Even if it had been a token gesture. But Vitani? Vitani had panicked. She had been devoted to her mother. The idea that Zira could harm an innocent cub was inconceivable to her. And she had ran. Thinking Kulana a coward. In a sense, yes. He did resent Vitani.

Something within him stirred at that realization. Something bitter and angry. Kulana's death had been an accident, true. But it had been an accident brought about by circumstances Vitani had helped engineer, knowingly or not.

But that wasn't the reason for the rising anger, in Danyal's heart. When he'd met his mother's spirit, he had been overwhelmed. Overcome with exhaustion and misery. Taken over by shock. Now though, he'd had time to process his feelings. Time to understand his thoughts. And another thing kept coming to him. Gnawing at him. It ate away at him, a question he longed to ask, yet feared the answer.

"What about my father?" Danyal asked her softly. He held his breath.

"What about him?" Vitani asked in surprise. She looked at him, cautiously, her yes questioning, probing. Piercing blue. They had never discussed Danyal's father. Vitani had denied ever knowing him, as had the other Outlanders.

"Who was he, Vitani?" Danyal pressed her. "You knew my mother. She left the Outlands when she became pregnant. So you _must _know who the father was." He asked her. This was important to him. Had she worked it out, all those years ago? Had she done as Nuka had, replaying those tragic events over and over, and discovering that it was impossible for Najisi to have fathered Danyal? She knew _something _at any rate, which had been more than she had ever discussed with him.

"I have no idea. A rouge your mother met in the wilds." Vitani said. And though it hadn't been the first time Vitani had said the words, it was the first time Danyal heard the faintest catch in her voice. The softest hesitation.

"That's not true. I saw the past. I know what you belief. I know who you belief my father to be. I know what you feared Zira would kill me for. I want to know _why. _Why would you keep this a secret from me, if you knew who my father was? If you knew who my parents were, why would you let me grow up alone?! You of all people know what it means-"

"Najisi. You are talking about Najisi." Vitani realized. "You saw that day of all days. Fate is cruel, indeed." She said.

"So you do remember." Danyal accused her.

"I remember a monster. I remember a foul, loathsome creature. Nuka did the best thing he did in his entire life when he drove his claws into that river slime's back and ripped out his spine." Vitani said, venom dripping from her voice. Danyal was reminded then, in her viciousness, of Zira, and the Outlander Queen.

"Everyone knew. All the Outlanders. Even Damu. They knew about Najisi." Danyal said, slowly.

"Not everyone. We didn't talk about it. The lionesses on patrol didn't know the full story. Nor did some of the younger ones… Damu was barley an adolescent at the time, she didn't know the details. But yes. We all saw Najisi fight Zira. And it wasn't Simba's _style _to do what had happened to Kulana_, _even when we thought him to be a tyrant_._ Quite a few knew." Vitani admitted. Danyal's eyes widened.

"Then why? Why didn't anyone tell me? Why stay silent? All those months…" Danyal asked her.

"Because I told them not to." She admitted.

"You did _what?_" Danyal asked in shock. Vitani let out a sigh.

"Danyal, when you arrived in the Pridelands, your mother spoke to Kovu. She begged for you to be raised in the Pridelands. Kovu agreed – of course he did - and I made sure that you would never be told about Najisi, and the reasons Kulana left the Pridelands. Anyone else that might have known her secrets died at Pride Rock. Why did you think some of the lionesses were nervous about letting their cubs play around you?" Vitani asked him. Danyal recoiled, as if stung. "It was because they knew you to be the son of the worst kind of Rouge." Vitani explained.

Danyal stared at her unable to believe his ears. Something snapped in him. He was angry. Furious. Almost unnaturally so. It _hurt _to feel such unmitigated vengeful spite. He heard himself drawing quick, sharp breaths.

"You must have laughed at me. Whenever you heard me ask about my father. Whenever I _fantasized _about the noble warrior I _dreamed_ by father was." Danyal said.

"No! Of course not! We just didn't want… We didn't want –" Vitani replied.

"How _could_ you? You lied to me my entire life. You wanted me to believe my father was an unknown rouge! Do you know for how long I believed he was out there? Somewhere? In the wilds? Do you know for how long I _dreamed _of one day reuniting with my father? I once tried to run away from Almasi and the Pridelands to find him. You never thought to mention that you thought he was _dead._" Danyal wrestled with the concept.

"Danyal –"

"How could you keep something like that from me? Did I mean that little to you?!" Danyal snarled. Then, giving a cry of anger, he let lose a bitter laugh. "Of course. Old habits. Lies and manipulations. It's a good thing my mother left you when she did. Else she might have ended up like you. Like Zira." He said. Vitani's eyes widened in fury at that last jab.

"How dare you!?"

"How dare _you!_ You… you conspired to ensure I never learnt the truth!" Danyal snapped. He was angry now. Furious. It burnt within him.

"Danyal… please. You aren't well. You're injured… Whatever Marsade showed you –"

"Shut up! Marsade showed me the truth! You showed me a _lie _for I don't know how long!"

"We didn't mean to lie. We thought it cruel to let a cub who would otherwise grow up in happiness, to think they were somehow… flawed as a result of their father! I _knew _what it was like to have a monster for a parent! You think I'd let anyone else feel that way!" Vitani asked him. Danyal roared.

"Don't talk as if you care about my feelings! You don't care for anyone's but your own! You let me spend my cubhood as the lonely, loathed child, who never had _anyone_!" He accused her. Vitani grimaced.

"You never had anyone?! You had _everyone_! You had Almasi! You had Damu and Casim and Gerrren and all the others! You might not have known your real parents, but at least you were loved all the same! You were as much a part of our Pride as anyone!" She reminded him.

"As much as Zuri or Inti or Sara?" he asked her. "Everyone _knew _their fathers. You knew them to be safe, kind, people. You could have told me. You could have let me _know_ what you believed!_"_ Danyal shouted at her. Why didn't she understand? Why couldn't she realize what this meant to him?

"_Know what? What should I have told you!?" _Vitani asked in exasperation. _"_You tell me, Danyal. Should I have told you – a cub – who'd just lost his mother, that _his father was a lying, murdering, rapist! Told him that he was born out of violence and lust _instead of out of love and comfort? Would you want me to tell _any _cub, that their very _existence _was a miserable, loathsome _mistake_ that brought nothing but pain to his own mother! Is that what you wanted me to tell you?!" Vitani roared angrily. "You've always been selfish. Always been so _arrogant._ Well I am sorry, for not having a heart as cold as yours, but I _could NEVER _do that to a cub! Least of all the son of a lioness I loved like a sister! I only wanted what was best for you." Vitani shouted. She was angry herself now. And hurt. How dare this insolent whelp speak like this to her? She knew what she had done had been for the best. She'd have done it again. And she refused to be guilt tripped into thinking otherwise by a teenage lion overcome with angst. She bristled. But her frustration was nothing compared to the vitriol with which Danyal now brimmed.

"YOU DON'T _KNOW_ WHAT IS BEST FOR ME BECAUSE YOU **AREN'T **ME!" He shouted. "_I _had a right to know about my father." He exclaimed again. "You know nothing about what it means to _trust _others. You never have. You're a paranoid, controlling, domineering lioness who has a heart so ice cold, she could never understand what others felt! You've never felt _anything _for another lion in your whole life."

"What do you mean? How can you say that I don't –"

"You never have! Sundar has a right to choose who she mates with, but you took away that choice because of your schemes! Calin has a right to choose to try to rescue me, but the idea of _anyone _acting in a way that doesn't fit into your schemes fills you with dread! We _all _have that choice, whether or not to fight the Shai'tan! But you have been making that choice for us! These creatures, these animals who fight with us – they should be _allowed _to choose to fight with us! Not on the back of some deception! Some _lie. _Not because they think they have King Kiava right here with them! They should be allowed to choose _knowing_ Kiava is missing. They should know the risks we face. It's their lives they are risking. You are _not _in charge of people's hearts, Vitani. You _don't _control me, or anyone else!" He roared. And in that he let lose weeks of frustration and anger and bitterness. The guilt he felt over lying to these animals. The bitterness he felt at the thought of Sundar being wed to an absent Kiava. The misery at the thought of the animals he had come to fight alongside with suddenly turning their backs on him.

Vitani however only stared at him. Her eyes narrowing to slits.

"You naïve, simple _cub." _She hissed. "You know _nothing _about what it means to lead. The weight of each decision. The magnitude of each choice. I will do whatever it takes to keep these people safe. I will do whatever it takes to protect the Pridelands. I will do whatever I need to do in order to help Kiava reclaim his thrones, because that is the only way there will be justice for those we've lost and peace for those who continue to fight in the name

But I _am _in charge! Not that I ever wanted to be! You think I wanted any of this?! You think I wanted to rule in my brother's place?! You think I wanted to live this life?! I _have _to make these decisions because _no one else can._ You want to have _all _the choice – but for me to have all the responsibility. Inti wants to make the decision to save you – but blames _me _for you being captured to begin with! I didn't _want _to rule. If Kovu hadn't mated with Kiara, I wouldn't be _princess _Vitani! I would be a no one! But _I _wasn't consulted on the matter. I _lead _because if I don't then _**people will die. **_That matters to me!_"_ Vitani roared. The lioness rushed towards him and for a moment, she raised a clawed paw, and Danyal thought she would strike him there and then. Then she caught herself, and stood still. After a moment, she lowered her voice. "I am sorry, Danyal. If you think I did you wrong by not telling you about Najisi. But ask yourself this: Would you tell Sara _her _father was a ravager? Or that your brother had murdered him for his crimes? Or would you leave her to believe that her father was noble warrior from the wilds? Which is kinder?" Vitani asked him. Danyal was quiet.

"It's not about kindness, you stupid, senseless lioness, it's about the truth!" He spat. "You're always controlling. Always _so _sure you are right. Well I have news for you, Vitani! Najisi _isn't _my father. He never was. And you'd have figured it out by now if you hadn't been so blindly devoted to Zira!" he said.

"What are you talking about?!" Vitani asked, suddenly taken aback. This was a shock to her, more so than anything Danyal could have told her.

"You were _wrong, _Vitani! The secret you've been hiding form me for years? It's worthless! Najisi isn't my father. I saw into the past. I know what happened! Nuka killed Najisi long before he got what he wanted from my mother! Najisi didn't conceive me! My mother only let you believe that because the truth was _infinitely _more dangerous! To her, to me and to my father!" Danyal shouted. Anger burned through him. He was furious. He felt it burn within him. Rage. Anger. Fury. Whatever he named it, it didn't matter. It burned. Violent and ferocious. Bitter and spiteful. Vitani stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean? Then who?! Who could possibly be-"

"_**Kovu!" **_Danyal roared.

Vitani was stunned unto silence.

"_What!"_ She whispered.

"_Kovu _is my father. He's the lion who lay with my mother. He's the reason I have these _blasted_ emerald eyes – he's the reason everyone believes me to be Kiava! He's the reason you were able to perpetuate this… this _lie _to the other fighters! King Kovu, Son of Zira is my _father!_ I am Kiava's _elder _brother. And _your _nephew, as much as Kiava is!'_"_ Danyal told her angrily.

"That… that isn't _possible!" _Vitani gasped.

"Isn't it? _Isn't it?! _You think that Kovu bore all the weight of Zira's expectations alone? You think he never sought the comfort of the paws of another who suffered just as much as he did? My mother understood him and what he was going through. She was powerful, smart, and blindly devoted to the idea of the Outlanders. Do you really think it's impossible that they were without passion, without lust?" Danyal spat.

Vitani stared at him. He saw her eyes widen. He was right. It was all there. In his posture and his stance. In his face, and his eyes. She could see her brother in him. The resemblance was there for any to see once they knew to look for it. How could she never have seen it before?  
"But… But… _Najisi, he-"_

"_-Was a convenient excuse to leave the Outlanders once and for all. _Did you really think Zira would have left me alive, if she knew the truth? If she ever suspected that I was Kovu's bastard son! She'd have ripped me from my mother's womb before I was _born_!" Danyal shot at her. Vitani gagged in disgust at the mere thought. Was he right though? Was even Zira capable of that? Was her own mother capable of doing something so foul? So gruesome? She didn't know. But Kulana had feared so.

"But Kovu, he –"

"He never knew Kulana was pregnant, did he? Because Kulana made you promise never to tell him that Kulana was pregnant. So he'd never have even guessed. The only person who ever knew was Nuka! Nuka, the lion I was _supposed _to find, if I ever returned to the Pridelands without my mother! Nuka who worked it out from the beginning. But _Nuka _died! He died in Zira's rebellion. If you had stayed with Kulana… If you hadn't ran away-"

"Ran away!?"

"Yes! You ran! When my mother confronted you about Zira, you _ran._ You couldn't bring yourself to believe your mother would possibly be a threat to a cub, and you ran! If you'd stayed, if you'd trusted your friends, if you'd had the _guts _to see your mother for what she _was, _you'd have known. You'd have told me. You'd have told Kovu when Kulana arrived in the Pridelands, dying, and bleeding to death. But instead? Instead I grew up never knowing who my father was. I grew up an orphan, never knowing my family. And the people who knew, the people I _trusted _grew up thinking I was the bastard son of a rapist and a murderer, rather than a wise, decent, King! How could you have done that to me?" He demanded of her.

There was as stillness. Silence. Vitani was staring at him in shock and absolute horror at the words coming from his mouth.

"You… You are Kovu's Son? Kovu and Kulana…" Vitani said in shock.

"Yes! Kings _Yes_! That's what I learnt out there. Worse than being tortured by Marsade. Worse than the knowledge of the Shaman! I learnt that my father, my _real_ father, was Kovu! He was living there! At Pride Rock! The whole time!" Danyal said.

And it was only as he said it that Dnayal realized how much and how deeply that had hurt him. How much it stung to know his true parentage had been within arm's reach the whole time. To know that, but for a cruel twist of fate, he might have grown up knowing the both of parents.

"Danyal… please. Listen to me. You have to forgive me. I never knew. I never dreamed that such a thing could be possible. If I'd known I would have told you!"

"You didn't tell me when you thought my father was Najisi! What could make me think that you'd have told me now you think it was Kovu?" Danyal asked her.

"I would have, I swear it. No one knew." Vitani said in anguish. Danyal was silent. Then he spoke.

"My own father never knew I was his Son. I stood before him day after day, and never knew who he really was. Do you have _any idea _what that feels like? Can you?"

"No. I can't. Danyal, I am sorry. So, so sorry." Vitani said. "But we can fix this. You are home now."

"How? How can we fix this? Can you undo all those years?"

"No. But you are here now. You are back where you belong, with your family, with your Pride. This doesn't need to tear us apart, Danyal. This doesn't change who _you _are. It doesn't change the fact that there are people here who love you. Sara, and Inti and Almasi and all the others." She said softly. Danyal winced.

"You are right. I wonder what Inti and Sara will say about this?" He asked her. Vitani shook her head.

"They won't say anything. They won't even know." She told him. Danyal stared up at her.

"What?!" He asked her in astonishment. He couldn't believe this.

"Danyal… Please… You need to understand. They can't know. You can't tell them. If anyone knew-" She began. Danyal's eyes narrowed into slits. His expression became deadly cold.

"You – willing or otherwise – kept this from me for all my life, and now, _now, _you want to leave it buried?"

"Danyal, please. To begin with, they all think 'Danyal' is the name of a cub who's gone missing with Zuri, not the king they have before their eyes. You can't reveal to them that 'Danyal' is Kovu's Son as _well. _To make it worse, if the others knew as Danyal, _then _found that you were the illegitimate Son of Kovu, it could completely destabilize Kaiva's rule!" Vitani explained.

"Are you _kidding _me? _KIAVA! _That's who you are concerned about? I've just told you that you are my _aunt _and your first response is to consider how this… this… _betrayal _affects _KIAVA's rule!" _Danyal spluttered. Vitani took a step back as Danyal let lose a roar.

"I will _NOT _hide who I am! I will not _pretend _to be the son of lion who killed and raped his way through Africa, when my father was a _king!_" Danyal spat at her.

"_**Enough!"**_A voice shouted. Danyal turned, and saw Almasi standing there. The lioness was staring at the two of them, tears in her eyes. Her expression could only be described as anguished grief. "_**Stop this at once!" **_She commanded them, and the two fell silent. Danyal was the first to recover.

"Almasi –"

"_**Be silent!"**_ She interrupted. She was still staring at the two of them in disbelief. Vitani licked her lips, and looked away.

"How long have you been there? How much did you hear?" She asked her. Almasi looked at the two of them in stony silence.

"Enough." She said firmly. Vitani sighed. "Both of you need to calm yourselves down." She looked to Danyal.

"Danyal… I am so sorry." She told him, moving closer. Danyal shuddered. The anger and misery that had been building within him let itself out, in a single sound. A moan, that was somewhere between a sigh and sob. He clutched at the older lioness who bowed her head into his. Their faces were almost touching. It was a tender moment.

"This… this isn't fair…" He told her sadly. Almasi nodded in agreement.

"I know. I wish it was. I wish I could change the past. But we can't." She reminded him softly. "I can't alter your cubhood. I can't change the fact that you feel cheated out of ever knowing your father." She told him. Danyal nodded. He looked up, and stared at Vitani.

"I hate you, Vitani. I want you to know that. I hate you. For the things you have done. And the things you've tried to do." He told her. Vitani stared at him in horror. Almasi laid a paw on his, and Danyal flinched, and gave a roar. The lioness leapt back, flinching instinctively at the male's roar. Danyal sank to one knee, looking drained, and Almasi moved closer again, and nuzzled the young lion.

"Danyal… Calm yourself. You aren't yourself right now. Take a deep breath." She told whim. Danyal tried to calm himself, but his breath was coming in short pants now.

"I am _fine_." He snapped. Almasi pressed her head against his.

"You are _not. _Danyal… You are a wonderful lion. A patient, and loving and compassionate lion. You aren't this angry. You aren't this bitter. This isn't you. This is pain. And torture. And suffering, and Spirit's know what else Marsade did to you. I've spoken to Sundar. He injected you with his own venom, his own power. He showed you the ancient past. He showed you the horrors of the Old Imperium. You're seeing the past through his eyes. Seeing it through anger and resentment and grief and bitterness. Vitani is your friend. You _aunt. _Your family."

"I don't _want _her for my family! She abandoned me! Abandoned my mother! Left us when we needed help!" Danyal burst out in anger. Almasi licked his cheek, cleaning away some of the blood and tears that covered his form.

"Danyal. This isn't you." She said. Danyal pulled back, and looked the lioness in the eyes.

"It is now." He pushed past her. "I won't hide who I am. Least of all from those I fight beside." He said, and moved away from the lionesses, to the exit of the den, brimming with purpose.

"Please Danyal, _think_. Most of those creatures out there have never _met _Kaiva. They don't' know him, they never did. They have no loyalty to him! They are loyal to _you! _If they learn you are Kovu's Son, how long before they forget that you aren't also Kiara's? How long before they decide that _you _ought to be King since Kiava is missing?" Vitani asked him. Almasi turned her head away in disbelief, at Vitani's pragmatism. She was right. Iof course she was right. She was Vitani. She was always right. But that didn't make it seem any less cruel to the rest of them. Danyal stared at Vitani in absolute shock.

"You think – You think I would try to _STEAL _Kiava's throne!" Danyal shouted in outrage. Vitani rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Of course not! I never said that. But it doesn't matter what _you_ would or would not do! What matters is how those animals out there think! How they fight! This could drive them away, this could undermine everything they've worked for." Vitani urged him passionately. Danyal stared at her. The anger he had felt within him building flared into an inferno. His face contorted into an angry snarl.

"So _what?"_ He asked her. "Why? Why should I have to hide who I am for the sake of a king who has abandoned us? What do I care, if people know who I am? _Let _them think I could be king. I don't care. I have no interest in ruling this Pride. In fact, I am done with it." He said, firmly.

"What? Danyal, listen-"

Danyal spat at her. Almasi let out a gasp. The lioness said nothing, she just stared at the two of them. Vitani was so shocked that she fell silent. Danyal glowered at her for a few moments.

"Did you even try?" He asked her, coldly. Vitani said nothing. "When Sara and Inti were captured, you dropped everything – _even me – _to go and save them. You abandoned me in the paws of lions you barley knew, to go ans save them. You moved heaven and earth to rescue them. Did do _anything _to help me and Sundar?" Vitani looked down.

"Danyal… Believe me, I –"

"No you didn't. It was left to Koron and Calin to help me. Where were you? Where were you when I _needed _you? Nowhere. Because, I have always been expendable to you. Always been something less. Something to be thrown away when it wasn't _useful._" He said. Almasi gasped again at the things coming from Danyal's mouth.

"Danyal, no! No one has ever thought that!" She tried. Vitani, looking as though she'd been punched in the gut, shook her head violently.

"Danyal, that isn't true!" Vitani told him. "How can you even say that?"

"Because it _is_ true!" Danyal told her. "Everything you've done, you've done for Kiava –you're your _real_ nephew! But what about me? What about your _other _nephew? You've taken _everything _from me! You've tried to take the lioness I love! You've tried to take my family! You've even tried to take my _name."_ He said.

"Danyal. Listen to me!" Vitani urged him. "You aren't yourself. You're letting your pain and anger-"

"To right I am angry! And yes – I am in pain! I am well acquainted with pain! I could handle it! I was _content _with being something to be used for the sake of the Pridelands! But all of this… My mother. My Father. Calin's recue. It's too much. All of it. It's shown me. You didn't care about _me _at all. Just what I could offer the Kingdom. You've never once cared about me for the _sake _of_ myself._ My whole life… You've controlled me, and for what? I am _nothing _but a tool for you." He said coldly.

Vitani roared in anger.

"Is that what you think of me? That I am an ice cold Queen, mad with power, who manipulates and lies and schemes, without a care for the people she _protects? _That I don't _care? Or feel? Or love?" _She asked him. Danyal shuddered.

"Yes! That I what I think of you." Danyal said with uncharactistic viciousness. Perhaps, a vauge part of him thought was being unfair. Or cruel. Or needlessly vicious. But he didn't care. He didn't care one bit.

"Danyal, please. You mustn't lose faith in Vitani as regent. She's led us this far." Almasi told him. Danyal shook off her protests.

"I lost _faith _in Vitani as regent when she made me trick the animals who we fight alongside. I lost faith in Vitani as a leader, when she tried to marry off Sundar to Kiava, like a slab of meat! I lost faith in Vitani as a _friend _when I discovered she's been manipulating my life from start to finish, hiding my own past from me! I lost faith in Vitani a long time ago." He sneered. "It just took this conversation for me to realize it." He said. And with that, he stalked out of the cave. Behind him, staring at him in shock, Vitani finally stammered forward.  
"You know _nothing!"_ She shouted after him. "If you don't like this kingdom, then leave it! You're not under any obligation to stay! You can go and fight the Shai'tan alone if you want, or leave the Pridelands all together, if that's what you desire! But so long as I have breath in my body, so long as my heart beats, I am regent here, and I _will_ do what I must to keep the Prideland's safe! I will do what I need to do to win back my homeland! I will follow my conscience and do what I judge to be right! And if that includes hiding things that need to remain hidden, then so be it! I'll do it!" She said. Danyal stood still.

"Secrets. Lies. Schemes." He shook his head. "How could I have _ever _thought that you would be our salvation? How could I have ever _trusted _you? You, who have never _trusted _anyone before in your life?"

"Danyal! Please! Stop it." Almasi said. "Maybe Vitani was wrong to keep information about your mother from you. Maybe she was wrong to hide who she believed to be your father from you. But she did was she did because she believed it to be right! She did what she did because she wanted you to be safe and happy without the burdens that weigh us down. Maybe that was wrong. And maybe she is wrong to behave as she has in other ways, to keep these people safe. But you have to believe, you have to _understand _that it was all for the best! It was all with the purest of intentions! Danyal! Please." Alasmi pleaded with him. Danyal closed his eyes.

"I know. I know you thought what you did was right." He said. And when he turned around, she saw there were tears in his eyes. "And I _hate you for it, Vitani! _I hate you for what you've done! You think I care _why _you did it? I doubt you even _know _why you did it anymore. Perhaps it seemed sensible, kind, honest even at the time, but I _don't _care. I can't trust you, because I don't trust you. You've destroyed that._"_ He said to her. Vitani stared at him, as Almasi moved between them.

"Danyal –"

"Stop defending her, Almasi. You know what she was wrong!" Danyal snarled. Vitani let loose a hiss.

"I won't argue with you on this anymore. I _know _what I did was right. I _know _that what I am doing is saving lives. Maybe its _dirty, _maybe it's dishonorable. But I was born an Outlander. I don't value honor. I don't value _fair play. _I value _life. _I value people. I value the things I protected with my choices." Vitani told him. He wanted to swipe away her expression. So… so self-indulgent. So self-assured.

"And who were you protecting by pretending not to know my mother, Vitani? Were you protecting Me? Or were you protecting yourself?" He snarled at her. Vitani's expression softened slightly.

"Danyal. I know you are hurting now… I know you must be… I don't know, confused, angry. Its twisting you. Making you say things you don't mean. Think things you don't feel. I understand… Listen to me-" She tried. But Danyal had heard enough. He'd stopped hearing her words ages ago.

"_Shut up! I could rip you to pieces if I wanted to, so just shut up!" _He threatened. Vitani was silent. "I am done with listening to you_! _I have had it. I am done with it. To hell with Kiava! To hell with the Kingdom! To hell with _you_ and your precious Pridelands! I don't care anymore. I am finished with it. Do what you like. But you will _not _control me any longer." He snarled.

And with that, he turned about, and left the den.

* * *

He emerged, blinking, into the light, and looked around at Five Stones. The five eponymous pillars were visible a short distance away. Around and about, were the creatures he'd fought with. Sundar was standing next to her father, and Helio stood nearby, the Asiatics relief at their Princess's safe return visible to all. Jahi and the leopards were in deep conversation with the other rebels, having seemingly overcome their stigma with their aid in rescuing the king. Calin was being treated by the Shaman, and Sara and Inti were with Koron and the other former slaves. Damu spoke with the Panther triplets, and Darina, and Karina were with Forn the wilddog.

All of them had given up much to fight the Shai'tan. A good many had been injured and most had lost friends and allies to the Shai'tan's forces. He let out a sigh, as Vitani emerged behind him.

"Danyal, _don't." _She warned him. Danyal ignored her. He let out a roar that resounded around the encampment, drawing their attention. Jahi looked to him quickly, and Sara and Inti leapt up. Some looked around for signs of an impending attack, but most looked to him, identifying him as the source of the sound.

"Your Majesty?" Karina asked him, the jaguaress looking surprised. Those who were a further distance away moved over to hear him. Others stood up out of respect, but remained where they stood. Danyal took a breath.

"_Danyal!"_ Vitani hissed from behind him.

"Don't call me that." Danyal said, speaking not to Vitani, but to Karina. He sighed. "My friends… It is time for you to know some things. Things you ought to have been informed of weeks ago." He said. "I thank you all, for what you've done in the name of your King. I am grateful to Calin and Forn and the leopards. I am grateful to Inti and Sara who helped plan it. I am grateful to all of you, for coming to our aid. I need to repay that debt. And I need to repay it with the only thing I have. The truth." He said softly. Jahi blinked, and the other creatures looked confused at that pronouncement, but no one dared interrupt him. "The truth is this. You have been told that, among my party, there were eight survivors of Pride Rock. Three lionesses – Almasi, Damu and Vitani. Four cubs – of whom you have met only Sara and Inti. And myself." He said. "The other cubs are missing. We don't know where they are. They fled form us when Marsade brought his dark Shamanism to bear against us. They may be alive, or they may be dead. We don't know. We can merely hope and pray." He said. The faces of the animals looked on. Some frowned, others gave a piteous expression. The lionesses of the Asiatic Pride looked particularly sorrowful at being reminded of that – for no cubs had survived the Shai'tan's attack on their Pride. He swallowed. "You have been told that for a while I exchanged identities with one of those cubs, as a way to deceive the Shai'tan." He said. "That was not true. I am sorry." He admitted. At the confusing glances each of the creatures gave to each other.

"You knew me as Danyal. And that's because that is who I am. I am not Kiava. I am not a King. I am not this lands salvation. I am just Danyal. Kiava is one of two cubs who have gone missing. The king is not among us, and the Shai'tan know it. I won't lie any longer. I won't pretend to be something I am not. I won't trick you so that you're prepared to fight for us. If you want to fight for Vitani and her Pridelands, then go ahead. But don't do it because you think you have a King to rally behind. Don't do it because you believe in your leader." He warned them.  
Then there was noise. Commotion. Animals looked to one another in shock. The Asiatics whom had always known Danyal as Danyal looked doubly confused, for they had barely managed to get their heads around the idea of Danyal secretly being Kiava, and now were being told the opposite. The former slaves on the other hand, those who had followed Sara and Inti out of the fighting pits of Golgorath, looked perplexed. Some, and Danyal had feared, looked angry.

"What?"

"I… You mean…"

"You aren't the King?" Darina asked him, looking shaken. Danyal swallowed, then shook his head.

"No. I am not. I am just Danyal." He told them slowly.

"Then… Why? Why tell us all that you were?" Darina asked him, looking shocked. It was Vitani that spoke.

"Because the _real _Kiava is somewhere between here, and the Mountain Kingdoms, without anyone protecting him. The only way we could keep the rightful King safe, and stop the Shai'tan from finding him, was by convincing them, that they'd already found him." Vitani replied coolly. "We told only those who needed to know – and those who already knew Danyal wasn't Kaiva. It stopped spies like Seba discovering the truth." Vitani explained. There was grumbling at this, though many could see the cold logic behind it. Surprisingly, it was Sara who spoke up. "It also persuaded many of you to _listen _to Danyal. He was the only one whom _all of you _followed without question. It ended the infighting and mistrust between the different groups." Sara said shortly. That provoked a louder grumble. Being openly lied to in order to provoke certain behavior, wasn't what you might call _courteous. _And it _did _offend many there.

"So who are you really?" Ras shouted over the grumbling. "Who are you?"

"I am who I've always been. I haven't changed." Danyal objected. Rei sniffed.

"And how would we know that, if we never knew the real you?"

"I didn't change my behavior. I didn't lie about my friends. I didn't act to any of you in ways I wouldn't have had I not been masquerading as Kiava." Danyal objected. There was low muttering as some of the animals digested this knew information. Danyal had been expecting more of a sense of outrage from the animals, but most seemed cofused, as if unsure how to process it.

"So… Who are we fighting for if Danyal isn't Kiava? Where is the King? What are we _dying _for, if we don't really have any King to follow?" Ras asked sharply. Vitani swallowed.

"We are still fighting for Kiava. We are still fighting to restore his kingdom. Still fighting for justice and peace. We just… are doing so in his stead for now." She told them.

"Then where is he?"

"Is he even alive?"

"What if he's dead, what then?"

"How can we find him?" Some of the creatures shouted. Vitani shook herself, growling despite herself, and throwing a scowl at Danyal.

"If Kiava were dead, the Shai'tan would have told us. We know he is alive." She said firmly. Then she stamped a claw.

"Enough. You know now. Out fight doesn't change. Our principles don't change. The reasons we fight haven't changed. If you think that you cannot fight the Shai'tan under these conditions, then-"

"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you trust us to _know?_" One of the panthers, (it was probably Rei) interrupted her. He was scowling and looked angry. "Don't we deserve to know the truth, given what we risk here?" He asked her. Vitani growled.

"You know why. To prevent the Shai'tan from discovering it, were it to become common knowledge." Vitani said.

"But why Danyal?" Jahi asked. "I… I saw Kovu when he was young lion, once. I was there, among the animals, when he was mated with Kiara! He's the spitting image of Kovu!" He said. Vitnai's eyes widened, as she looked to Danyal.

_Don't._ He eyes seemed to say. _Please. _Danyal's eyes narrowed.

"That would be because I am Kovu's Son. I was born in the Outlands, conceived during Zira's rebellion. I'd have known sooner, had Vitani not attempted to bury my past as she had." Danyal said quietly.

That sent the creatures into stunned silence.

"_WHAT!"_ half a dozen voices shouted at once. Sara and Inti, the two cubs looked at him in amazement. Damu choked, staring at Danyal with wide eyes, gears turning, thinking back to her own time in the Outlands among Kovu and Kulana. The two Shaman, Rafiki especially spluttered. Those who had known Kiara and Kovu and come from Pride Rock stared in absolute shock. Helio, who had known Danyal's true identiy and had been looking bored up to this point, jerked to attentiveness.

There was a stillness.

"Then… _You _are _the Prince! The elder heir!"_ One of the Asiatic lionesses said.

"NO!" Danyal and Vitani said at once. Danyal growled, determined to stamp this out once and for all. He shot Vitani a glower.

"I am Kovu's Son only. Not Kiara's. And _Kiara _was heir to Pride Rock, via her father. Prideland Law permits adopted cubs to rule after their parents. But Kovu never acknowledged me as his Son. Kiava is Kiara's Son, and therefore, Simba's Grandson. I don't share that blood. I could never rule after him." He said. Inti looked at him, carefully. He kept his eyes fixed on Danyal.

"Kaiva isn't here. You could rule the Pridelands in absence." He pointed out, and her heard Vitani make a huge intake of breath.

"I could. I could fight you for it." Danyal whispered. His anger flared at the idea. To fight back. To turn his anger into action. To do as Najisi once had when he'd come to Zira. Mashindano. Ritual Combat. Duel Vitani. Defeat her. End her reign and her constant meddling. End her lies and schemes once and for all. He wouln't need to kill her. Just defeat her. His injuries screamed in protest. Could he take her? In this condition? He didn't honestly know. Anger simmered, hot and burning. He wanted to lunge, to attack, to rip her to pieces.

"Is that what you want?" Vitani asked him. She was expressionless. Her face was pale.  
And he knew she would fight him, if he challenged her. Even kill him if he made her. She'd do it – with tears in her eyes – but she'd do it. And so would he.  
He took a step back.

No.  
He didn't want to fight Vitani.

"No. I am done with the Pridelands. Burn with them." He told her. Then he turned his back to her. Then came the uproar. Almasi rushed to them, and Damu looked up in panic. The two cubs moved over to Danyal.

"What do you mean by that? You can't leave!" Vitani asked him in horror. Danyal gave a roar, forcing the cubs to back away in fear.

"Or what? Will you execute me for desertion? I imitated Kiava… Claimed to be of royal blood. That alone is treason. Will you kill me for it? Or exile me? Brand me a traitor and leave me to rot?" he snapped at her. Vitani's eyes widened at the thought of something so barbaric.

"No! Of course not!" She told him, and the other nodded quickly at that. Danyal snorted.

"Well then, will you imprison me?" He asked her.

"Don't be ridiculous." Almasi said sharply. Danyal nodded.

"Then you can't keep me here. I am done with the Pridelands. You yourself Vitani, said that I should leave the Pridelands all together, if that's what I desire. Well I do. I will _not _fight alongside you. I will not stay here. I am leaving here all together." He said firmly. That sent pangs through his heart even as he said it. But when he saw the hurt and shock on Vitani's eyes, he almost smiled. He _had _hurt her after all. Good.

"No! Danyal, you can't!" Sara protested. The cub shouted form the crowd of animals, and almost instantly, a lump formed in Danyal's throat. Sara pushed her way towards him, tears growing in her eyes. "You can't leave us! This is your home! You belong with us!" She pleaded with him.

"I don't belong anywhere. Vitani saw to that." He told her, gentler than he had spoken before. More angry voices came from the group, as Sara was joined by others. Almasi, and her son moved towards him.

"Forget it! Danyal please, you can't!" Inti said angrily. Almasi pressed a paw to him, and met his eyes urgently.

"Danyal! I am begging you, _please _don't do this! Don't make this mistake. Don't act out of anger." She pleaded with him. He wasn't himself. The poor lion was _tortured, _he was in shock, he was in pain, he didn't know what he was _saying _he couldn't make this choice now! "You cannot do this! You don't need to do this!" She said urgently. Danyal pulled away firmly as Sara began to sob. Inti glared at him

"You're just going to run for it? Vitani does something you don't like so you are going to run away! Inti asked him." Danyal looked at him, and Inti's expression vanished when he looked into his eyes. He saw the hurt there. And something else. A primal anger. A hunger. "Please. Danyal. You've never not been there when we've needed you. Don't start now." The hot tempered, hot maned male, pushed towards his elder. "You… You still need to teach me to hunt, remember! You taught Kiava, you promised to teach me!" He protested. Danyal tried not to smile. He knew full well that Inti could already hunt, having picked up the basics from his mother and practiced in some way almost every single day since their release from Golgorath. He'd grow into a truly terrifying fighter one day. Danyal leaned down, and nuzzled the boy once.

"Sorry Inti… I am going to have to break that promise." He said sadly, as Inti shook his head quickly.

"We did so much to rescue you!" Sara begged him. "We couldn't stand the thought of you benig trapped there!"

"And now I am free. Thanks to you. I am free. Or I will be. Once I leave Vitani and her schemes behind me. Thank you… My friends. For everything." He told them.

"Danyal" Almasi urged him. She moved close. "For Gods sake Danyal! _Please! _They love you! I love you! Don't leave us out of hatred!"

"Take care of them, Almasi. I'd have died for them. So look after them. I've put a lot of work into it." Danyal told her. Almasi's eyes filled with tears.

"Danyall, you stupid, stubborn _idiot! _Don't! Just go back inside the den. Just get Rafiki to work his magic on you. You'll feel better, we'll fix this. You don't need to do this to make a blasted point!" She begged him.

It hurt him.  
It really did.

But he'd made up his mind.  
And he was, after all, one _stubborn _young lion.

He moved away, and Vitani remained where she stood, staring at Danyal in horror.

"Danyal! Please! You can't go!" Almasi told him. They were some distance away from the others, so now only Danyal could hear her words. Danyal looked to her sadly.

"I am sorry. I really am sorry. But I can't, I just can't! I can't stay here with her, I can't! Not after this, not after what she's done! How can I trust her? How can I let her lead us? How can I, Almasi, you tell me that!"

Almasi was silent for a moment.  
Vitani watched them both, and looked at Almasi.

"Because she is our friend. The same as you are." Almasi said softly. Danyal shook his head.

"Not anymore." He said.

And just like that, he walked away.

* * *

Danyal didn't need to wait for long.

Within a short time, he recognized a familiar scent, and heard a footstep behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Danyal." Sundar said.

Danyal turned, and smiled.

"Sundar… Sorry for not coming straight to you. I needed to get out of there. Out from under the eyes, away from Vitani. I knew you'd come after me." He moved towards her and nuzzled the lioness softly. Sundar returned the gesture, and let out a purr. Danyal felt something stir in him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sundar spoke first.

"I love you." She said it honestly. "Whether you are named Kiava, or Danyal. Whether you are the Son of Kovu or the Son of Najisi. I love you. From now until the end of time." She said. Danyal felt his heart swell at the words.

"And I love you. With all my heart." He returned, and he nuzzled her again. He loved her completely.

"Danyal… You can't seriously want to leave." She asked him. Danyal looked at her, straight into her blue eyes. He didn't hesitate for a moment.

"I do. I don't care why she did what she did. I don't care if she thinks it was _right_. The very fact she was _able _to do it, and for so long, tells me all I need to know about Lady Vitani. She is heartless." He said. He went to nuzzle Sundar, but she nudged him off this time. She looked at him.

"What are you planning?" She asked. Danyal sighed.

"I'll wait. Until dusk. Then I'll just walk away. North. South. It doesn't matter. I'll keep walking. Sooner or later I'll find a land where the Shai'tan don't rule. I don't plan on ever coming back." Danyal told her firmly. Sundar stared at him. He was being serious?

"Danyal… What about your family? What about the people you care about?"

"What family? I have no family, my family is dead." He said harshly.

"You know what I mean. The people who care about you."

"Vitani doesn't care about me. And Damu never cared enough to tell me what she knew of my family." He said uncertainly, trying to believe his own cold words.

"And Almasi? You are just going to leave her? And her cubs? You can't just leave them." Sundar told him.

"I can't stay with them either. Not whilst Vitani is charge. I don't want anything more to do with Vitani, or her plans, or her rebels. Who cares if the Shai'tan take the Pridelands? Let them have it. We can go somewhere else. There is nothing stopping us from just leaving. Just going somewhere else. The Shai'tan's influence doesn't extend everywhere yet. We can go. Just leave. And live out our lives before the Shai'tan ever find us. They'll be preoccupied here." He told her. Sundar nuzzled her lover, and met his gaze.

"Danyal… We have to go back. We can't just… just abandon them." She said. Danyal frowned.

"You didn't hear what she said. What she did. What she wanted to do. I am tired of being used. Tired of everyone else deciding what is best for me. I am _tired_ of all of this." He told her. Sundar swallowed.

"Danyal… I can't just leave here. My friends, my father…" She protested.

"Your father tried to have you mated to Kaiva!" Danyal said, more sharply then he'd intended. His voice softened. "We can leave them to it! Leave them to their schemes and their plots and their rebellions. We don't need it. We only need each other! We can survive without them." He said.

"It's not about _surviving. _It never has been. It's about doing something _right. _About bringing back some _good _in the world." She said.

"We can build a better world." Danyal said. "Sundar… I want you as my mate. I… I am young and so are you but… I'll take _everything _that that entails. We can leave here. Create our own pride. Something… _new."_ He said. Sundar swallowed, her voice dry at the thought. Having cubs with Danyal had seemed like a distant dream. She was young – and so was she. They were barely _able _to have cubs, let alone considered whether they _ought _to. Certainly, few Prides would have called them _fully grown_. But they were old enough to fight. Old enough to kill. Who was to say they weren't old enough to bring new life into the world? "We can bring something good into the world together." Danyal pleaded with her. He was ready to try. Who knew if he was ready to be a father, but he knew that he wanted to live his life with _Sundar, _and no one else! That much he knew for certain.

"Danyal. I love you. You know I love you. But you can't ask me to just leave them." She said, with tears in her eyes. "I can't abandon my father." She pleaded.

"After what he tried to do to you?"

"He made a mistake – he meant no malice." Danyal scoffed at that. But she pressed onward. "No, listen! When I told him about _us, _he was so happy, so grateful. He realized why what he'd tried to do had hurt the both of us so much and he was desperate to fix it! He'd given up on the idea long before we even returned. He just wants us to be happy!" She told him.

"But he –"

"Am I supposed to never forgive him? He was distraught when we vanished. Danyal, while you were speaking with Vitani, I was speaking to him. He is still my father… and he can be yours too. I still love him. I can't just give up on him." Sundar told him. Danyal growled.

"Sundar… I can't stay here with them! Please come with me! Don't make me leave here alone!" He begged her. Sundar shook her head.

"No one is making you do anything. These people need us! Now that we know Marsade isn't dead, they need every Shaman they can get! He has the power of _three _Shaman. Well, we do too, if I can learn to use this gift as Rafiki and Yessen do! I have to stay here. There are people that need you too. Sara and Inti. The Rebels. People who look to you for hope, people who look to you as a leader. They have to be more important to you then this grudge against Vitani." She reminded him. "Are you going to turn your back on them?"

"No." He said eventually. "Any who wants to can come with me. Your father can come with us! So can the cubs, so can the Shaman if they want." He said. Sundar stared at him.

"At best that would fracture the fighters! Just listen to yourself! This is madness! What if they don't want to come with you?" She urged him. Danyal growled in frustration, white hot fury pumping through him.

"Then that is up to them. Leave or stay. It's their choice. They can make it themselves." He told her.

"And what if _I _don't want to come with you?" She asked him. Danyal's breath caught in his throat.

"You don't owe this land anything!" He shouted. Vitani stepped back again, intimidated by his fury. This was so unlike him. So unlike Danyal. Whatever Marsade had done to him, it had ran deeper than she'd suspected.

"My father has given his word to Vitani, the he and his people will help defeat the Shai'tan. He's promised to help resurrect the Pridelands. My people are not rouges! Not nomads or wanderers! They are pridesisters, not rouges! They need to have a home! The Pridelands _are _their home now; that was what Vitani promised them. They will stay here, and I won't leave them."

"I… Sundar. I love you. Please come with me."

"My place is with my family. All of them." She said, her voice catching.

"Come with me! Please!"

"No! Danyal, if you love me, then you will stay here with me! You will chose! Not me!" She told him. Danyal bowed his head.

"I asked you… to be my mate! That was what we decided! That if we escaped that dreadful place, we'd spend the rest of our lives together! Did you ever really love me? Or was that just a thing you said when you thought we were going to die?" He asked her. Sundar took a sharp intake of breath and stared at him in astonishment. Danyal's expression faltered. "Sundar, I didn't mean –"

Sundar swiped him across the face, and Danyal grunted.

"You are the one who needs to choose between hating your family and loving me. Don't make me choose between two people I love. I don't know what Marsade did to you, danyal. But he did something. The Danyal I knew, the danyal I fell in love with, wasn't so consumed with hate that he'd hurt everyone he loved in a single blow to hit at someone he wanted petty vengeance on. The Danyal I loved wouldn't do this to his family." She hissed angrily.

"I didn't do this! Vitani did this!"

There were tears in her eyes as he spoke. But she shook her head. Then without another word, she turned and left him.

"Wait, Sundar!" he shouted after her. But either she didn't hear him, or she ignored him, because she didn't reply and kept going. Danyal remained where he was standing. Then let loose a roar of frustration and anger. He almost changed his mind. He almost went rushing back after her. He almost chased her back, begged her forgiveness. He didn't. He ground his teeth and growled in bitter resentment. For a moment, he hesitated. He had said, after all, that any who wanted to follow him could come with him. That any who wanted to could follow him. He growled in disgust. No. He wasn't a king. He wasn't a leader. He didn't need followers. He need to leave, before anyone decided to follow him. To hell with Vitani. To hell with the Pridelands. This anger flared within him again. Resentful and vicious. To hell with all of them.

* * *

Back at five stones, Vitani screamed in rage. She hurled herself against the wall of the den and cleaved at the rock walls with such ferocity they left lines carved into them. She screamed and raged in fury for a good long while. No one interrupted her. They left her to her misery.  
She had failed.  
She had failed so completely.  
Her own nephew. Kovu's Son.  
Kovu's last words had been to take care of his son for him. Surely that applied to Danyal as much as to Kiava?  
But Danyal… in his bitter and broken state… had refused that.  
She should have seen it, should have realsied. No one could possibly go through a Shaman's torture and not emerged changed. And Danyal? Danyal had returned in a state of shock. And been told of the lies and conspirasies surrounding his birth.  
Lies.

He was right she had lied.  
She had never known him to be Kovu's son.  
But she had thought of him as Najisi's. And every time she saw him. Every time she looked upon him, she had been reminded of that creature. The filth who had attacked her friends and her. Who had forced himself upon a lioness she had loved like a sister. A lioness she had respected and admired. A lioness like Kulana, a true friend.  
A friend she had abandoned.

Letting her brave the wilds, instead of _making _their home safe for her. She should have confronted her mother. Perhaps if she had, she'd have been awaked to her madness sooner? Perhaps so much suffering could have been avoided?  
But she had failed. She had failed then as she failed now.

And now?  
Her last family hated her.

A foot entered the den behind her. She turned, and saw Lukaan. The great white lion looked at her sadly.

"He hasn't come back?" He asked her. Vitani shook her head wordlessly

"I… only wanted… to make things better. For everyone. That's all I have ever wanted. But people… they are so… so… So difficult. I don't understand them. I don't understand him. I never have. Kovu could. He fell in love. I don't feel that, Lukaan. I never have. Maybe he was right. Maybe I am heartless?" He asked him. Lukaan shook his head. "No." he said.

"You take everyone's problems and you make them yours. You make it your take to save everyone, and every death is person failure to you. There is no such thing as _necessary _risks, no such thing as _acceptable _losses. If Calin had died rescuing Danyal, you'd have never forgiven yourself.  
And you lied to a young cub, because you couldn't bear to think of a child growing up, thinking he was unloved by his parents. You feel, Vitani. People can't see it, for the same reason as we standing here, can't see Africa." He told her. "You feel too much." Vitani bowed her head.

"He hated me." Vitani said. "I used to consider the amount of people who hate me, a sign that I was doing some good in the world."

"He doesn't really hate you, Vitani." Lukaan told her. Vitani looked to him.

"How? How can you be so sure?" She asked him.

"He is angry, yes. He is in pain. But Danyal? Danyal doesn't know _how _to hate. He only know how to hurt. And he hurts everywhere right now. He hurts in his body, and in his mind, and in his spirit. His future is uncertain and his past in a lie. His present is pain. Don't blame him for that. Blame the people who hurt him." Lukaan told her. Vitani swallowed.

"What do I do?" She asked him, plaintively. "Tell me Lukaan. Where do I go from here?" She asked him. Lukaan shrugged. "You are the leader, Vitani. I am just your friend." He said. Vitani nodded. And swallowed.

"I will make them hurt back." She said firmly. "For hurting our friends. And driving us apart. I will make them bleed. I will make them suffer for this." Lukaan. Nodded.  
"How?" He asked. Vitani stood up, and roared.

"They want to move into the Pridelands. They want to mock us? Then hear this!" She knew what she needed to do. For months, she'd been stuck. She'd needed a target. A way to unite the Pridelanders. Not just unite the factions within the rebellion, but to show all creatures of the Pridelands, that the Lion Kings were not dead. A way to signal to the world that the Pridelands were not dead. A way to prove that the Shai'tan could be resisted. Now, at last, she had one. She knew where the next battle would take place.

"We are going to the heart of the Pridelands! We are going to meet them! And crush them! We are going to retake our homes, reclaim our lives!" She said.

"And how will we do that?" Lukaan asked.

"We are going to retake Pride Rock!" She decided.

* * *

**AN:**

**And there you have it gentlemen. Probably the last chapter in a short while, since exams are now in full swing. But I hope that chapter didn't devastate too many of you.**

**Special thanks to Lord of Beef Dip for helping review this chapter before its release.**

**A lot to cover here. Some of the characters back at base having some down time.**  
**Then Danyal and Sundar's return. And of course, the long awaited reckoning between Vitani and Danyal. With explosive results. I hope you all had a blast.**


	28. Chapter 27 - Resurgence (& Glossary)

"**As requested, I have been building a quick Character Glossary:  
I wanted to present it in a tabular format, but it doesn't seem to be compatable with this document editor, so this format will have to do.**

* * *

**_Name:_**

**_Species:_**

**_Allegiance:_**

**_Description:_**

* * *

**Kiava**

Lion Cub

Pridelands-Kiava's Rebels

The Main Character, and heir of the Pridelands. The first Black maned Flame of Pride Rock since Ahadi (Scar notwithstanding).  
Although initially uninterested in his _destiny _as King of the Pridelands, he is now eager to reclaim his home.

* * *

**Zuri**

Lioness Cub

Pridelands- Kiava's Rebels

Kiava's best friend, and most faithful companion. She's travelled with him since the beginning and is a capable fighter.

* * *

**Inti**

Lion Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Orange maned, and quick to anger. He spent several weeks imprisoned in Golgorath with his sister and Koron, and remains bitter over his treatment there. These experiences have rendered him much more morally flexible than his fellow cubs, and a capable fighter and hunter, his is open to more aggressive strategies.

* * *

**Sara**

Lioness Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Inti's twin sister, and the one with the most control over the Rebels from Golgorath's dungeons. Of a similar appearance to her brother.  
She has recently developed an unreturned infatuation with the much older Danyal – though Almasi suspects there might be more to this than a simple cubhood crush.

* * *

**Koron**

Lion Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Koron spent over a year imprisoned in Golgorath, and despises the Shai'tan. Traumatised and mentally scarred, his aggression and violence is tempered by his devotion to his friends – particularly Sara and Inti, to whom he is eternally grateful.

* * *

**Almasi**

Lioness

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Sara and Inti's mother. Born and raised a Pridelander, she bore cubs in peacetime, with a Rouge who – while pleasant and charming – had no interest in raising cubs. As such, like most lionesses, she raised her cubs alone.  
She remains guilty over her children's imprisonment in Golgorath, and her inability to help them.

* * *

**Damu**

Lioness

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Damu is Zuri's mother.  
Quiet, thoughtful and logical, Damu is nevertheless daily tormented by the absence of her daughter.  
Unlike Almasi's endless worry over her children's loss, Damu is confident of her daughter's survival (reasoning that Zuri's place with Kiava means that her own survival can be assured from the fact that Kiava is missing. Were the Shai'tan to find and kill Kiava, you could be sure they would wish the rebels to know it.)

* * *

**Vitani**

Lioness

Pridelands - Vitani's Rebels

Vitani – Lioness of the Night, and the last scion of Zira, Vitani spent her cubhood prepared for war.  
This training she now uses not to attack the Pridelands, but to defend their last remnants. Of all the lionesses, she most understands the importance of overarching stratergy, beyond day to day survival, and she will use any means, however dirty or dishonest, to achieve those aims.  
She invented the fiction that Danyal was the Prince Kiava, in order to rally the rebels into a fighting force, something many of the others disapprove of.

* * *

**Danyal**

Lion – Adolescent

Pridelands – Vitani's Rebels

Now revealed to be the illegitimate son of a much younger, naïve Kovu, and his cubhood friend, Kulana, he now struggles with the twin knowledge that he was born in a loveless, passionate desperate union – and that Vitani knew pieces and fragments of his parents life – without ever mentioning it to him.

He is desperately in love with Sundar – who helped heal his horrific injuries at the claws of Sekment, the Shai'tan.

* * *

**Malaki**

Asiatic Lion  
(Deceased)

None

Lukaan's elder brother and an Asiatic King. He was murdered by Asamode and Rish'ut, shortly before the outbreak of Ben-Kai-Ra's revolution against Shan-Yi, which turned the Imperium into its brutal tyranny it is to this day.

* * *

**Lukaan**

Asiatic Lion

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Lukaan is Malaki's younger brother. Born with a distinctive snow white fur, and soft pink eyes, Lukaan cuts an unusual sight. The second son, and prince, never expected to inherit his brother's throne, lead the remnants of his Pride into the unknown, via a rift.

* * *

**Sundar  
**

Asiatic Lioness

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Lukaan's daughter, Sundar developed unusual shamanic powers, shortly before the birth of Ben-Kai-Ra's Empire, and she has been refining these gifts to benefit the Pridelands.  
She has fallen in love with Danyal, but has a strained relationship with her father, due to his blundering attempts to betroth her to Kiava, and thus unify the Pridelands Pride, with the Asiatics.

* * *

**Helio**

Asiatic Lion

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Helio is Sundar's cubhood friend, who has un unrequited love for Sundar. The young, brash lion is very much how Danyal used to be. Hungry for battle and glory, and bitter about his Prides decimation at the paws of the Shai'tan.  
He's loyal however, and can be trusted to never betray his allies to the creatures he hates so much.

* * *

**Talib**

Leopard-Adolescent

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

A young teenage leopard, who family is missing, presumed murdered – one of the many casualties of the Shai'tan's invasion and occupation of the Pridelands.  
Distrusted by many of the former slaves, Talib has an ally and friend in the form of Sara, who was the first to show him some compassion and forgiveness, in the face of his previous occupation as an enforcer of the Shai'tan, along with some of the other leopards.

* * *

**Jahi**

Leopard

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

A former enforcer of the Shai'tan, who joined with the Shai'tan upon learning that the Lion Kings had been deposed by the Emperor. Upon learning of Kiava's survival however, he and his family decided to risk everything to restore the old kingdom back to its former glory.  
He desperately wants to prove his new loyalty, by helping Danyal – who he thinks to be Kiava, rightful king of the Pridelands.

* * *

**Calin**

Leopard Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Did not travel with the other leopards. Joined the rebels after surviving an attack by Bane's wraith that killed his parents. Has become attached to Danyal and Sundar, and has begun to imitate Danyal, with a brazen disregard for authority, but a fierce loyalty to his friends.

* * *

**Rei**

Panther Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Rei is the oldest of the Panthers, was a prisoner in Golgorath, until he and his siblings were rescued when the Rebels attacked Golgorath to recuse Inti and Sara.  
Choosing to help the Pridelands win their war with the Shai'tan, and get some well-deserved vengeance in the doing, Rei is a capable scout, and intensely loyal to Inti and Koron, the two who he credits with his survival in Golgorath.

* * *

**Ras**

Panther Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Much like her brother, Ras is an excellent spy and tracker, and the more level headed of the siblings. She is loyal to the Pridelands, but also to Sara and Inti who she befriended in Golgorath, and to Danyal, who she believes to be the King of the Pridelands.

* * *

**Sash**

Panther Cub

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

The Youngest of the Panthers, Sash has yet to distinguish himself from the rest of the rebels, being too young to send on missions. However, he makes up for this with eagerness and sincerity. He is no naïve youngling either. His harrowing experiences in Golgorath mean he that he knows precisely what the Shai'tan are capable of, and it more than willing to fight to end their reign, young or otherwise.

* * *

**Forn**

Wilddog

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Forn's origins and backstory are unknown. However, he is a wilddog. That alone distinguishes him among the revels. However, Forn's imprisonment in Golgorath, set him apart from his brethren. A scavenger, and a survivor, he's used to making his way out of tough spots. Independent, and self-assured, he sees no conflict of interests in fighting his own species when they side with the Shai'tan. He's made his choice. And they've made theirs.

* * *

**Karrina**

Jaguar Cub- Adolescent

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Born in a distant continent, and imprisoned in Golgorath for no crime other than being the sole survivor of one of Raeveal's brutal purges, she could have ended up dead in a ditch on the first day. Instead, she clung to life, meeting her sister only on the few occasions they were forced to fight each other for their food.  
She's seen the Imperium at its worst, and like many of the rebels, sees no higher calling that bringing about its end.

* * *

**Darrina**

Jaguar Cub- Adolescent

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

Like her sister, Darrina suffered a crippling injury in the battle of the glade – but survived it. Brimming with energy, and desperate to do _something _other than sit around, Darrina is a former resident of the Imperium who is loyal to Danyal, and to the Pridelands, the idea of which is a far cry from her own experiences of home. Perhaps this, is something she can fight for.

* * *

**Shenzi**

Spotted Hyena

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

The Hyena trio's leader disappeared after the fall of Scar's regime. In the turbulent years that followed, the Hyenas began a terrible and brutal civil war that reached its peak when Zira and the Outlanders attacked Carrocscirr and clensed its halls of all Hyenas.  
From the ashes, Shenzi emerged as a leader, and began to unify the clans, turning the hyenas into one of the Pridelands greatest powers, and one of the few left, with the strength to oppose the Shai'tan.

* * *

**Ed**

Spotted Hyena

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

Insane, fanatically loyal to his friends, and of few words, very few can permeate the enigma that is Ed.  
He's an odd one. Formally a commander of the hyenas, now mostly acts as a solo scout.  
But underestimating him is a terrible – and possibly fatal – mistake.

* * *

**Banzai**

Spotted Hyena

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

He emerged from obscurity as Shenzi's ally, and eventually, her mate. Years of civil war, scheming, and murder have turned him from a comic henchman to a brutal warrior. Grizzled, world weary, and as tightly wound as a spring, Banzai isn't the smartest hyena around. But he's certainly one of the most dangerous. Vicious when provoked, he hasn't changed too much from his former self, though he is much more wary of lion Kings and their promises.

* * *

**Bhagari**

Mixed Spotted/Black Hyena

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

Bhagari is a hyena of mixed ancestry who found his place as the right-paw-hyena of Asante, in their elite unit, the Shadowpups. A pack of rookies who are dangerous – or mad – enough to survive where few would even dare. An expert on ambushes, he breaks the mould of a Hyena, and in cunning, devious and thoughtful.  
He's also madly in love with his superior, Asante, and recently survived a bout of Mamba venom, thanks to her powers.

* * *

**Asante**

Spotted Hyena - Shaman

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

The second of the new Shaman to emerge in recent months, Asante was born to Banzai and Shenzi when they were past their Prime, and had never thought of having pups. Born to two hilariously ill-equipped parents, in a political climate of scheming and backstabbery, Asante didn't have the best of head starts in life.  
Then the Shai'tan invaded. And things got _really __messy_.

* * *

**Timon (Buzz)**

Meerkat

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

War changes people.  
And Timon has _really _changed.  
The Sole survivor of the Fall of Pride Rock, who did not escape with Vitani, Timon watch his friends die and burn, and spent his retirement in brooding resentful guilt.  
Kiava gives him the opportunity to right what he feels went so wrong, but who can say if he will ever regain his former personality.

* * *

**Sarafina**

Ancient Lioness

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

Sarafina left the Pridelands, in self-imposed exile after the death of Scar, and the acention of Simba, blaming herself for not stopping the tyranny of Scar when she had the chance.  
She has seen kingdoms rise and fall, and knows all there is to know of ruling.  
Kiava has enlisted her to teach him all she knows, and she obliges. Her methods however, are dubious at best.

* * *

**Ookai**

Golden Monkey

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

A conman, thief, liar.  
And those are his good points.  
Originally hired as a guide to help Kiava through the twisting paths of the Jungle, Ookai has doubled down on his assessment of Kiava – and apparently felt a twinge of his conscience.  
Now, he merely wants to help his friend regain his birth right.  
At no extra fee. (Expenses non-negotiable).

* * *

**Bruce**

Silverbacked Gorilla

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

This silverbacked gorilla is Ookai's friend/muscle.  
Strong as an ox, and dumb as fish, Bruce is… a gentle soul. Easily frightened, intrigued, and contented, Bruce is a creature or simple tastes, and simple needs.  
He's also loyal to a fault, and more than happy to help Kiava – not understanding, or more likely, nor careing about, the danger he puts himself into.

* * *

**Haana**

Striped Hyena- Matriarch

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

The yong matriarch of the Striped Hyenas. Techniically a rival of Shenzi, but lacking her experience and confidence, Haana, has to juggle the toxic politics of her own people, as well as imminant invasion, and cultural resistance to her alliance with Kiava. She has her work cut out for her.

* * *

**Kamilli**

Striped Hyena

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

Kamili is Haana's older – but illegitimate – sister.  
Much more conservative, isolationist and independent to her sisters more progressive stance, Kamili doesn't approve of everything her sister does. However, she _does _love her sister dearly, and will go along with any of her plans.

* * *

**Vurugu**

Black Hyena - Patriarch

Pridelands – Kiava's Rebels

Little is known of Vurugu at this point. He leads the smallest clan of the Shadowlands, the Black Hyenas.

* * *

**Ben-Kai-Ra**

Tiger Lord - Emperor

The Shai'tan Imperium

A massive creature. Strong, powerful, and cruel. Formerly known as "Kai" much of his history is shrouded in mystery. However, he claims to be a direct descendant of Shien-Su. His father, known as Shan-Yi, was a kind and wise leader, though like all tigers struggled throughout his life with dark impulses and desires, he mastered them with dedication and self-control, something his son eventually decided was weakness.  
Ben-Kai-Ra overthrew his father, and murdered his supporters. Then, began a bloody campaign to slaughter the Imperium that wouldn't support him. Most the tiger Lords are now dead, or hiding, or else are on the side of the Emperor.

* * *

**Sekmet**

Tigress (Deceased)

The Shai'tan Imperium

Cruel, aggressive, and spiteful, Sekmet is one of the Empire's most powerful fighters. A reasonable leader, Sekmet preferred upfront fighting to leading from behind, and was a sadist, taking pleasure from every hurt she inflicted. Uninterested in mates, or companionship, is difficult to control, and more difficult to face.

* * *

**Rish'ut**

Tiger (Deceased)

The Shai'tan Imperium

Arrogant, egotistical and prideful, Rish'ut was one of the first to join the Emperor, and sometimes resents those among the Shai'tan who joined later. He loves the feeling of control and manipulation, but unlike Leviath, uses much less subtle means, like torture, intimidation and fear to do so.

* * *

**Amun**

Tiger (Deceased)

The Shai'tan Imperium

The seventh son of a large family of Tigers, Amun is multitalented, and his versatility is his strength. He is a good fighter, a good leader, a good stratergist. He I a good hunter, tracker, and possess good stealth. He's reasonably well liked by his underlings, let also intimidating.  
He is the Jack-Of-All-Trades among the Shai'tan, seemingly talented at everything he puts his mind to. Flexibility and versatility frequently lead to victory.

* * *

**Mortread**

Tiger

The Shai'tan Imperium

Young, ambitious, and hungry for power, Mortread wasn't always a Sha'itan, and was the last to join the Emperor. This has led to some of the other Shai'tan underestimating him.  
A foolish mistake.  
His ability to track foes across great distances is uncanny, as is his persistence. Perhaps most frightening of all, is his ability to inspire genuine loyalty in his troops. The creatures who serve him are among the most dangerous, for this reason.

* * *

**Asamode**

Tiger

The Shai'tan Imperium

A foul, odious, evil creature. Asamode possesses no inhibitions. He is what the Shai'tan aspire to be. A creature of pure impulse and instinct, distilled from such petty feelings as morality and compassion.  
He isn't so much immoral, as he is 100% amoral. Possessing no conscience, no guilt and no shame, there is no sin too dark, no act too depraved to be beneath him.  
Ambitious, cunning, ruthless, and selfish, Asamode has no care for the Imperium. Merely himself.  
And that is what Kai likes about him.  
His ambition is a cost however, as now, he aspires to even greater things.

* * *

**Raeveal**

Tiger

The Shai'tan Imperium

Fast talking, humorous, wisecracking and a pain in the backside to friend and foe alike, Raeveal is perhaps best defined by his morbid curiosity.

He has spent plenty of time with marsade, and now is the only of the Shai'tan to understand some of the principles behind Marsade's powers. Though powerless himself, Raeveal intelligence, and ruthlessness make him a powerful foe.

* * *

**Leviath**

Tigress

The Shai'tan Imperium

The Spy Mistress of the Imperium, she deals in secrets and sorts them from lies. She is perhaps the only person in the Imperium, other than Marsade, who knows all of the Gateways in the Imperium, and under what conditions they open. Rational, logical, and cold, Leviath is mysterious and dangerous**.**

* * *

**Castella-Ra**

Tigress

The Shai'tan Imperium

The sole daughter of Ben-Kai-Ra, Castella-Ra is an able administrator, a competent fighter with little experience in leading an army.

Only a fool would underestimate her however.

She is after all, the Heir to the Empire, and she is more than capable of living up to her father.

One of her titles is "The Emperor's Jewel" and some say that she is the one thing the Emperor still cares about, having abandoned all other such attachments in his pursuit of power.  
She is also involved in a secret relationship with her comrade, Mortread. The relationship is secret because – in keeping with the philopshy of the Shai'tan – all such weaknesses have been purged:  
Therefore, Mortread would only be seen as exploiting Castella for political gain. The idea of Castella consenting to be with him is also alien to the Emperor: Therefore, Mortread's encounters with the Princess would be considered "Un-Consensual" with potentially fatal results for him.

* * *

**Harrin**

Wilddog

The Shai'tan Imperium

A wilddog of unusual cunning and loyalty, he is perhaps the most powerful of all the wilddogs, possessing the ear and sympathies of Mortread.  
He fights for the Shai'tan for the good of his family, whom he cares for – but also out of genuine loyalty, and a desire to see the world united under the Imperium.

* * *

**Marsade**

Orangutan – Shaman

The Shai'tan Imperium

An orangutan. Born centuries ago, Marsade is one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Originally blessed with abilities to manipulate fire, lava, and heat, he saw to keeping balance in the circle of life, with his siblings. However, immortal and powerful though he is, he was powerless to help his friends. Tragedy upon tragedy twisted his mind, and dark magic twisted his spirit. Now, his vengeance against Rafiki is all that drives him to bring about the end of the Pridelands.

* * *

**Yessen**

Baboon – Shaman

Pridelands-Vitani's Rebels

The eldest of the Shaman, and some would say the wisest. Stubborn, ancient, immovable, and impassive, much like the stone he controls, his is the power of the earth. Tremors, groundquakes, they are his to command. The least likely to involve himself in local politics, Yessen wished to take time to study the threat posed by Shein-Su – and wished for a mortal solution to a mortal problem, fearing involving himself, and his allies, would have negative consequences for the balance of the universe.

* * *

**Halien**

Gibbon – Shaman  
(Deceased)

None

A gibbon who harness the storm. Wind, gale and typhoon was her strength. Pressure and power as well. Even lightning. An immensely powerful Shaman, she was much more willing to fight Marsade when his madness became clear. Unfortunately, the power of Maragne had been added to his own, and with it, Marsade murdered his elder sister with fire and ice, claiming his third Rod of the Shaman.

* * *

**Margane**

Chimpanzee – Shaman

(Deceased)

None

A chimpanzee, who worked the magic of the oceans, rivers and streams of the world. An expert in illusions and trickery, Margane was a gentle soul, and devastated by her brother's betrayal. The first to fall victim to Marsade's purge, she was the first Shaman to be murdered in eons, and her death left echoes in the world.

* * *

**Rafiki**

Mandril – Shaman

Pridelands - Vitani's Rebels

Everyone's favourite Mandrill, Rafiki is revealed to be a powerful Shaman – a sorcerer/priest who possess arcane abilities and sage like wisdom. His history is shrouded in mystery, and his future is uncertain. However, he remains determined to defend his friends and the other citizens of his adopted homeland.

* * *

**Kufa**

UNKNOWN – Dark Shaman

UNKNOWN

A mysterious figure. This enigmatic individual, is Marsade's unknown benefactor, providing him with power, wisdom, and dark magic for the wars to come.

* * *

**This chapter is a more moderately sized one (Once you account for the glossary taking up room).  
I'll move the Glossary to the Epilogue of this book when it's completed. Until now, here it is.**

**Hope you enjoy it. This is really the sort of "calm before the storm" for this book, and is probably the last we will see of Kiava until book 5. So enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Insurgency**

* * *

"I don't trust them." Shenzi said. For what must have been the twentieth time. Kiava sighed, trying not to lose his patience.

It had been _weeks _since the clans had joined them. Weeks since Zuri's spectacular duel with Vurugu. She ought to have gotten over this by now. He'd already explained with perfect rationality and reasoning, why the alliance with the other hyenas benefited them. That hadn't soothed Shenzi's worries though.

"The Clans _don't _make alliances. They make rivalries." Shenzi said. Kiava ignored her. "Kiava!" She warned him.

"Yes Shenzi?" Kiava sighed. He couldn't put this off anymore.

"Do you know what the plural of 'Hyena Clan' is?" She asked him.

"A group of multiple clans_?_ Umm… a Pack?" Kiava tried.

"War. It's a War of Hyenas." She said. Kiava rolled his eyes.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Do you see me laughing?"

"Again, you're a hyena. I can't tell."

"Would you mind taking this seriously?" Shenzi berated him. Kiava twitched.

"I can't help but feel that is something _I _am supposed to say." He said. Shenzi said nothing, but glowered. "I am sorry, Shenzi. I meant no disrespect."

"No. You just mean to ignore me and every piece of my advice." Shenzi told him.

"Shenzi… I need you to have faith. Not just in me. But in your fellow hyenas. Scar saw something in you." Kiava reminded her.

"Scar saw potential in us, because we were predictable. He knew how we'd behaving in a given situation. This is the same. I know how this ends. The clans will fracture, betray each other, and then we will all die." Shenzi told him firmly. Kiava exhaled.

"No." He said. "I don't accept that. The hyena clans are a _part _of this world. That means they have a stake in the fight that is coming, and reason to fight for a _better _one. A better world. How long since a hyena fought for that? No. You won't fracture. You won't break."

"How can you be so sure?" Shenzi asked him, sceptically.

"I have faith in you." Kiava said simply. Shenzi glowered at the black maned young king. Then threw back her head and rolled her eyes. She sighed.

"Fine. Then forget I said anything. I just wished I shared your faith in the cooperative abilities of my own species." She said. Kiava nodded, seriously, as she continued. "Ugh. I guess if anyone can get them to do it, then you can." Shenzi told him. Maybe he was right. If they were fated to betray one another, then they would. And if they weren't, then they wouldn't. What was the use in worrying over it? If they failed, they were dead anyway. "Who knows? You might be the first creature to unify all _four _clans. Even Scar didn't have that many." Shenzi said.

"Did you _really_ never work together?" Kiava asked her cautiously. Simba's Pride hadn't been close to the other Prides by any means. Distance alone kept most of the Lion Pride apart, but Simba had always made it a point to keep good relations with the both Mountain Prides, and the Southrons, among whom Malka had made his Kingdom. All gone now of course. The Shai'tan hadn't been taking Prisoners the day those Prides had fallen.

"Never." Shenzi said, and padded away to herself.

Technically that wasn't completely true. Though alliances were rare, and though they hadn't really happened for a long time, they weren't unknown. The brown hyenas, for example, might occasionally swear fealty or loyalty to the strongest clan, but only as part of a war to attack _other _clans. Never to work together.  
The closest Shenzi had ever recalled witnessing an alliance between _her _clan and one of the others had been a particularly eventual week some years ago now.  
A party of striped hyenas, intrigued at the prospect of a permanent alliance with the spotted had, at great risk to themselves, once stayed in Carroscirr while discussions of a potential alliance had been made. Shenzi hadn't been matriarch then, and had been much more able act upon her own desires. She'd sparred with the others for meat like any of the fighters. And naturally, there had been a rivalry between the visiting striped hyenas and the spotted hyenas. But like many of those rivalries, competition had quickly given way to savage aggression and hostility. Shenzi remembered vividly an unpleasant striped hyena, and the way he'd walked. Arrogant. Self-assured. Not unlike Vurugu. He had been confident of victory, and challenged Banzai to a sparring match over a piece of meat, and a chance to show off. Banzai had bested the hyena, and sent him spiralling into the dirt. She remembered the fight well. Banzai had, after all, been showing off to her at the time, and though the hyenas had a reputation for rudeness and discourtesy, she was not so base as to ignore such attention. In any case, although Banzai he bested the hyena, the unpleasant thing returned not long later when Banzai was alone and invited themselves to a rematch. One that Banzai had suffered injuries so severe, it had rendering him unable to hunt for weeks.  
Shenzi had naturally complained to the matriarch over the treatment of her friend but the elder matriarch had noted that Banzai had given as good as he had taken in the resultant fight, despite the unfair odds, and viewed the matter as closed.  
Shenzi's own opinion had never been shown to the general public, on account of her remaining uncharacteristically reserved on the subject. Not that it turned out to be of much importance however.

The whole situation was rendered moot by the happy coincidence of the hyena in question being killed by a freak fall of rocks in the valleys of the shadowlands, not long after. He had prior to the incident began boasting about how much he'd like to have killed Banzai, and how he'd likely remain crippled as a result of the injuries.

Unfortunately, this has made discussion of alliances between the hyena clans difficult, for the simple fact that the dead hyena had – as it turned out – been the _mate _of the matriarch leading the striped hyenas at the time. The matriarch had been devastated by her mate's untimely death, and refused to even consider the possibility of an alliance. There were even rumours of the matriarch, no doubt driven to extremes by her anguish, escalating hostilities between the clans. Even whisperings of an open clan war. Those had been a tense few days, she recalled. Perhaps it was fortunate for the rest of the shadowlands then, that the Matriarch never had the chance to make up her mind on the matter as she herself had a mysterious and unfortunate accident involving yet more falling rocks later the same day. Their hosts, the spotted hyenas, were shocked and grieved for they _had_ warned their striped brethren of the dangers of the seismically unstable land. Many more noted the morbid irony of the incidents, and consoled themselves on the fact that at least the two were not parted from each other for very long.  
Of course, some of the stripped hyenas, devastated by their leader's demise, were concerned for the wellbeing of their clan, and for the future of the negotiations. Fortunately, in an effort to placate the visiting hyenas, the decision was quickly made to investigate the seismically prone sides of the valleys as soon as possible and to ascertain the nature of the accidents, and the resultant inquiry made _absolutely_ certain that there was no wrongdoing or suspicion at all.

And Shenzi should know. She was, after all, in command of the hyenas sent to investigate. Volunteered for the position.

In any case. Those who _did_ suspect some form of foul play, generally considered the deaths to be the result of suicide – on an account of the two hyenas suicidal tendencies to attack the soon-to-be-mate of one of the most vicious and dangerous hyenas in the Shadowlands, their tragically suicidal inclination not to treat the spotted hyenas whose land they were inhabiting with the appropriate respect and their woefully self-destructive habit of wandering around in the seismically unstable lands of a rival hyena clan after dark.  
Sadly, negations had broken down not long after, and the striped hyenas had withdrawn, without an alliance after all. It had been a turbulent few weeks. In fact, looking back, Shenzi was relatively certain it had been a turbulent year.

At the edges of the shadowlands, Shenzi's daughter and Zuri moved together. Any animosity between the two had been well in truly ended. In fact, Zuri was willing to consider the shaman a friend by this point. The two were looking at some of their new recruits with a mixture of confusion and disdain. Most of the adults from the hyena clans already had small groups with which they hunted regularly, and Zuri was loath to break up such groups. It would take weeks to obtain such a level of trust or team work between hyenas. So most of the hyenas remained in packs of their own kind. However, the younger hyenas, eager to fight, but not yet a regular part of the hunting parties of the hyenas didn't possess such groups. Others _had _fought in such groups, but after casualties, food loses, and desertions to the Shai'tan, now were too small to function as effective packs. So now, standing before Asante and Zuri were a multi-ethnic collection of younger hyenas. Asante wasn't impressed. Quite a few lounged around before them, not even standing up when the lioness and the shaman approached. A couple even gnawed at a bone. Zuri cleared her throat, and finally got a few of their attention. They recognised Zuri, having seen her fight Vurugu in such spectacular fashion, and that _did_ get some of their attention. Asante sighed, and let lose a loud bark.

Then the hyenas finally stood up.

"Okay," Zuri said. "Listen up, because I am only going to say this once." She looked around. "You know the importance of the _pack. _You know what it means to fight alongside someone. To trust someone to have your back. So I am not going to lecture you on that. I just need you to know something. When you work in a group, if you have orders, then you follow them. No matter who the order's come from. Am I clear? I don't care what clan your commander is from: Striped, Spotted, Black, Brown. It doesn't matter. Are we clear? You're fighting for the same side now. So leave old battles and old grudges in the past. I am lion. So is your king. It's a brave new world we are living in." She said. "You got that?" She asked them. The hyenas nodded, and there were a few who mumbled "Yes." Satisfied, Zuri turned to Asante.

"You think they'll do?" She asked her. Asante cocked her head.

"They will have to. If they aren't good enough, they won't last long among the Shadowpups. I won't have them guarding the backs of my pack, if they aren't up to it." Asante said. Zuri nodded.

"Did you see where Kiava ended up today?" She asked him. Asante thought for a moment, before nodding.

"He was going to speak to Bhagari. Something about a scouting mission or something to plan. I imagine they'll both be with my father." She said honestly. Zuri nodded in thanks, and left Asante to begin the practice drills, like she often had with Shadowpups.

* * *

Zuri weaved her way back to Kiava where, as Asante had suggested, she encountered him in deep conversation with Bhagari. Both were looking much healthier now. The last traces of the poison that had been coursing through their veins seemed to have worn off, and they were both healthy, strong, and fit of mind and body. If Kiava wanted, he could have sparred with Vurugu himself, though he rarely participated in the sport. They were standing low, their eyes fixed on the ground. As Zuri moved over, Bharagi looked up and shook his head.

"No no no! Careful!" He said. "You're about to stand on Carrocscirr!" Bhagari protested. Zuri blinked, and looked down. Sure enough, roughly sketched in the dirt, were the faintest outlines of… were those the Shadowlands? And next to them, past the Great River, the Outlands? She could pick out other land marks too. Golgorath too was marked out. It was crudely drawn though. Rafiki perhaps, could have done better. However, it appeared to serve their purposes. Zuri sat down, ensuring she didn't wipe away any of the map. She didn't say anything though, and contented herself to wait until Bhagari was finished. The dark spotted hyena traced the great river and pointed to a spot where she saw the Great River split. Most of it continued eastward, where she knew it to separate the Shadowlands from the Swamplands. Some curved off to the north however, and cut the Outlands from the Shadowlands (both of which were to the north-west and north-east of the Pridelands respectively). That point, where the river curved, showed the Shadowlands, the Outlands, and the Pridelands joined.

"_Trinities Point_." Kiava said aloud, recognizing its distinctive shape.

"It marks both the southernmost and westernmost reaches of our territory. If we attack from there, we'd be attacking both the Outlands, and defending the Pridelands at the same time." Bhagari said.

"If it's such an ideal spot, it will be more heavily defended. Couldn't we pick a simpler target, if it's our first mission?" Kiava pointed out. That was true. The hyena nodded.

"We could. If we didn't mind not achieving anything. If we risk lives, then I want the risk to be worth the reward." Bhagari reminded him. "Besides. We can't allow the Shai'tan to possess it for too long. Any advantage possessing it affords us equally applies to them. It would be just as good a point of attack for the Shai'tan as for us. We should at the very least make to secure it as soon as possible. Even if to hold it as a defensive position." Bhagari said. Banzai stared at the two of them, still not saying much, his forehead wrinkled slightly.

"I think I see why that's a good target… Though I still think I am more useful in a battle. Shenzi normally decided _where _to attack. After Scar, at any rate." He reminded them.

"I want you input as well, Banzai." Kiava reminded him, and Banzai didn't object further. Hyenas were not notably bright, but Bhagari was intelligent, and Banzai did possess a certain low cunning that made his insight valuable.

"That makes sense. We should probably make plans to do that. That is where the Shai'tan will attack us from, not from the Swamplands, or from the South." Kiava said. Bhagari smiled in agreement. Banzai grunted.

"Well, if you wanted my input, I'd say we ought to be wary of dividing up our forces too thinly." He said. Bhagari hesitated.

"Perhaps it would be a good chance to ensure the clans fight together? A mixed pack? Both brown, striped and black? And lead by one of us?" Bhagari suggested.

"Are you volunteering to lead?" Banzai asked him, not entirely sarcastically. The grizzled old fighter arched an eyebrow at Bhagari, who shrugged.

"I don't especially want the responsibility, but if that is where I am needed." He said, though his expression betrayed that he was uncomfortable in that. "I am a mixed-blood hyena. Perhaps they'd be more likely to listen to me?" Bhagari asked. Zuri blinked at that. She had noticed Bhagari's coat was a shade darker than his peers, but she hadn't ever considered it to be more than the dirt and filth he so frequently ended up covered in after a fight. From Banzai's considered expression, she wondered if there were more to it than that. Banzai shook his head.

"No. If they become used to listening solely to you, then it will only be harder for them to listen to the rest of our clan." He said after a moment. "Besides," He added, "Asante tells me that you are second in command of the Shadowpups. You cannot leave them now, not as their numbers have been so thinned." He said. Bhagari nodded in acceptance. Banzai considered for a moment.

"Send Ed." He suggested to Kiava. "He don't talk much. But he's a crafty sort. And he isn't bound by… conventional… tactics. He's perfect for an unconventional pack." He said. Kiava shrugged, trusting the hyena's judgement. Bhagari looked unconvinced.

"Ed? He hasn't commanded a pack since his pups were killed." He said cautiously. Banzai shot him a dark look as Kiava started.

"When was this?! I didn't hear of that!" He gasped. Banzai shook his head.

"Don't worry. That was months ago… In the very first few weeks of the Shai'tan's attack on the Pridelands. And they weren't pups at the time. Why'd ya think we refused to surrender, while the other clans caved and groveled like spineless cravens?" He asked, then checked himself, looking around. "Uh…" making sure he hadn't been overheard by one of the other hyenas.

"Jasiri commanded the shadowpups before Asante did, back when Asante held _my_ position, as her second." Bhagari said, ignoring Banzai's lapse of manners when it came to the integrity of the other hyenas. "We… underestimated the Shai'tan at the beginning of the war. We didn't know what we were dealing with. The packs were scattered, the clan was spread thin across the whole Shadowlands. We didn't have the numbers at first. Causalities were high. Jasiri and Janja were some of the first to die in the fighting." Bhagari admitted quietly.

"She took a lot to take her down though… harried the Shai'tan's advance so much that by the time the serpents arrived, the clan was all safely gathered in Carrocscirr. Amun couldn't penetrate it. And even when she was cut off, it took half a dozen jackals. She even killed that blue-eyed leader of theirs before they got enough claws in to take them down." Banzai said proudly of his best friend's daughter. Kiava recalled the stalemate in which the forces of the Shai'tan and the hyenas had been in when he and Zuri had been captured by the hyenas. He nodded.

"If we are sure Ed is ready to command again." He agreed. Banzai nodded.

"Don't sweat it. Ed's got this." He said firmly. Kiava swallowed. With that sorted, he hoped to turn his attention to other matters.

"And the new recruits for the Shadowpups?" Kiava asked Zuri.

"Asante is getting them started training now. I don't know what she'll make of them. But they are tough fighters. They all are." Zuri told him. The ones who weren't tough died quickly, Kiava thought to himself. He didn't say it aloud though. It would have been insensitive so soon after discovering Ed's hidden losses.

"Anything else I ought to know?" Kiava asked the others. There was an awkward pause, as they looked to each other.

"Well, I guess, since we're speaking of Ed, your monkeys went with him on a Scout into the Swamplands a few days ago. They were due back today. I guess you should go and hear their report, when they get back. Banzai said. Kiava nodded in thanks, and cleared his throat. Recognizing that as a dismissal, the others departed, leaving only Zuri with Kiava. Kiava looked to Zuri, who grinned at him.  
"What?" he asked her. She chuckled.

"Nothing. Just… I've never seen you so… _kingly…_ she told him. Kiava snorted.

"I don't feel like a king. I feel like one of Ookai's kin, balancing fruits of various shapes and sizes on a stick. One false move and everything comes tumbling down. And in the meantime, you look like a buffoon." He said, though there was no malice to it. Zuri moved closer, and rubbed herself along his side. He stiffed for the briefest moment, and his eyes widened before he relaxed and let out a slow breath. He was twitchy, and the contact made him nervous before he got a grip of himself and relaxed. Zuri smiled kindly.

"The pressures of the Crown I guess." She told him. Kiava rolled his eyes.

"You sure everything is okay? Nothing you didn't want to say in front of the others?" He asked her. Zuri considered for a while.

"No. You know, for once? I think things are going our way. The Clans have been calming since Vurugu sided with us. Haana and the striped hyenas wanted to be on our side from the beginning, and the brows aren't numerous enough to stand alone against the Shai'tan, so they'll back us so long as the blacks do. And Vurugu's been nothing but supportive. I'd have thought the patriarch would be more upset about his loss then this, but he's not said a word against me." Zuri said, faintly confused over the whole situation. Kiava smirked.

"That's because you impressed them. Hell, you impressed me." He told her. Zuri smiled, shyly.

"Really? Because I was scared stiff the whole time."

"_You_ were scared stiff? I had to watch you jump of the side of the tower!" Kiava reminded him.

"In fairness, I was pushed, and in my defense, everything seemed to work out. I wouldn't a thought you were scared of heights!" She chided him. Kiava gave her a level gaze.

"Oh, heights are fine. Its plummeting from them at great velocities with enough force to splinter your skeleton into tiny pieces that I am little edgy over." He said completely without a trace of sarcasm. Zuri smiled.

"Okay. If it makes you feel better, how about I promise not to do _that _stunt again?" she asked him. Kiava rolled his eyes.

"Why bother? With the lives we lead, you'll probably have done it again half a dozen times by the time we're finished with the Shai'tan. One way or another." He said dryly. Zuri smirked at that.

"Would you have thought a few years ago that we'd ever be fighting side by side with the hyenas?" Zuri asked him. Kiava didn't bother to answer that. Of course he hadn't. He'd never dreamed it. Yet, between Shenzi, Haana, and Vurugu the three leaders of the prominent hyena clans they actually had a sizeable number of followers.

"Are Vurugu and Haana… adapting?" He asked Zuri carefully. Zuri nodded.

"Haana went on that scouting mission with Ed and Ookai. So I haven't seen her for a few days. But when I last saw her, she seemed relieved. She's not as confident in her abilities as a leader as the others… She knew a confrontation with the Shai'tan was inevitable, and it was something she dreaded. It's her older sister that still bugs me. Kamili. She's hot tempered and arrogant." Zuri said. "But even she is keeping control of herself. I know Shenzi is worried about it, but I don't think we need to worry about the hyenas attacking each other for now." She told him. Kiava grinned.

"What would I do without you?" He asked her. Before she could answer, they were interrupted by a noise. A brown hyena, a short young male rushed up to him, and barked a cough. He bowed when Kiava turned to him.

"Sire, Matriarch Haana and Pack-Leader Ed have returned!" He told him. Kiava brightened, nodded his thanks, and the brown hyena disappeared. He turned to Zuri and took a breath. She stood up, her tail flicking in the air.

"With your permission, I was hoping to join the next hunting party. I _am _still your first-huntress, aren't I?" She asked him, her eyes having a glint. Kiava laughed. He couldn't help it. He did.

"Go on. Be safe." He told her. Zuri inclined her head in a short bow, and then left him.

* * *

Kiava watched her go for a moment, before shaking his head. He stood up and padded away from the meeting spot, and towards one of the entrances to Carrocscirr. The other main entrance was till collapsed from where they had abandoned the tower to Amun's attack, so his route was obvious. Eventually, he found who he was looking for. Ookai and Ed were standing together, the golden monkey arching his back and jumping up and down, trying to retrieve feeling in his legs (Kiava guessed he must have ridden on Ed's back on the final stretch of the journey.) Haana was nowhere to be seen, presumably, she had already joined her followers by one of the geysers. Ed looked up when he saw him, and cocked his head slightly.

"Ed. When you've rested, go and track down Banzai. We're planning something, and would like your input. But get some rest, and some food before you do." Kiava told him. Ed gave a yelp that made Kiava blink, and then he vanished down one of the catacombs. The other hyenas dispersed, and left the golden monkey with the King. Ookai stretched his other arm over his head as he did so. There was a quiet _pop_ as he did so, and Ookai let out a breath sigh of relief.

"Ach… That hits the spot." He said slowly. He looked at Kiava, and smiled.

"Hey Kiava. How's it swinging?" He asked him. Kiava grinned.

"Well, no catastrophes yet, so I'd say pretty well." Kiava said, grinning. Ookai nodded.

"Good to hear."

"Anything to report?"

"Well, we did as you asked. We headed into the Swamplands." He said, shuddering at the memory of the wet, marshy foul smelling territory that joined the Shadowlands to the Jungle. In some ways, it was worse than the Dessert that separated the same Jungle from the Pridelands. The Swamp could be just as hot as the Savanah, but its foul humidity made tit feel much worse.

"No sign of any of the River Lords on the way back. I think you're right. They've headed further downstream. They want nothing to do with mammalian politics." Ookai asked him.

"And the Vulture Committees?" Kiava asked him. Ookai shuddered.

"We found one. I only had to lie down in the swamp for a couple of hours. Once one took a fancy to me, Haana called it off and persuaded it to listen for a while."

"Any luck?" Kiava pressed him. Ookai sighed.

"I took your message to them. The Vulture Committees know of the Imperium, and they fear it. At the moment, the elders haven't officially signed up with the Emperor… They've taken a similar approach to Haana. They haven't expressly forbidden vultures from working with the Shai'tan as individuals, a number have become particularly high ranking spies. They're popular with Leviath, apparently." He said. Kiava let out a breath. That was good news. He'd feared that every vulture had sided with the Shai'tan, for certainly, they made liberal use of the bald birds as spies and messengers. They would need birds of their own before the fight with the Imperium was over. They wouldn't have been Kiava's first choice. But, the hornbills, songbirds and other avian of the Pridelands were much less organized. They lived alone, or in small families. And on top of that, many had fled in fear as soon as the Imperium had attack the Pridelands. The Vultures had stayed for obvious reasons: The prospect of a free lunch. In any case, he hadn't expected them to be too enthused with the idea of siding with the Pridelanders, and Kiava fully expected them to maintain their neutrality. Still, it was an idea. At least now the Vulture committees were accounted for. He nodded in thanks, as Ookai told him the rest of what they had discovered. As they'd hoped, the Shai'tan had been practically expelled from the Shadowlands and that had earned them a respite, if nothing else. Which was good news.

"Thank you Ookai." Kiava said.

"Hey, it was nothing." Ookai said halfheartedly. The young lion looked at the ape for a moment.

"You don't need to stay here you know. You've fulfilled your end of our bargain." Kiava said. Ookai blinked.

"Bargain?" He asked, confused.

"You know. When we met? In the jungle?" Kiava prompted him. Ookai started.

"Oh. Right. That bargain." He said softly. He shrugged.

"Doesn't seem to matter much now, does it?" Kiava laughed.

"So why are you still here?" he asked him, only half-jokingly. Ookai shrugged. The golden monkey had a strange look in his eye.

"You know something, I didn't used to put much stock in some things. Friendships. Ties to lands. Honor." He shrugged. "I am not saying I was a Shai'tan. I knew _of _them. They just never seemed to be of much use to me."

"You were a con-artist." Kiava reminded him. Ookai shrugged.

"I made up for my lack of… physical… abilities to ward off predators. You can't say it's morally inferior to, say, ripping out their Spine – which is your favored method of dissuading predators." Ookai pointed out. Kiava winced.

"Fair enough." He admitted.

"Anyway. I lied. I cheated. I used colorful words and promises to make my way in the world. To look out for me. My family never cared much for me, and I never cared much for them. When I met you, I thought you'd just be another mark. I hoped to use your scent to get rid of our leopard issue." Ookai admitted.

"And?" Kiava pressed him. The Golden monkey smirked.  
"Well, I guess I fell for a bigger con didn't I? That maybe there was something to be said for standing up for honor or justice. Maybe there was something bigger. And who knows? I always liked an underdog." He said. "I couldn't let you get yourself killed now could I?" He sighed. "The deal breaker was when we met Sarafina. Make when she was masquerading as a heartless taskmaster. I saw your determination to succeed. And I saw Zuri's determination to _help _you succeed. She believed in you. And I guess somewhere down the way, _I _started to believe in you too." He admitted. "In some ways, I am no different to these hyenas. You've convinced us all that there is a chance of us winning. And that in winning, we can make the world a better place. For ourselves and for others. I guess, that idea had never occurred to me. I've always survived with little lies. Little tricks. And when things went south, making a quick exit and a fast escape. I'd never been in a position where I could change the world before." He said. He snorted. "I guess I am an arrogant little egotist aren't I?" He said. "Couldn't resist a con as big as that, could I? Stealing the Pridelands from the Emperor? How could I resist?" he asked him. Kiava laughed.

He'd never thought of it like that. But he supposed, they were indeed practising something not unlike one of his cons? With fast fighting instead of fast talking, but all the same, they were operating at a huge risk of death, against a vastly superior force. Kiava was touched.

"So. You think we can do it." He asked him. Ookai was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Aye. I think you can do this. If anyone can, you can." Ookai said. "And I'll do what I can to help." He said firmly. Kiava smiled.  
"Thank you." He said simply.

* * *

Zuri had made her way away from Kiava and paced down into the catacombs of Carrocscirr, hoping to find Sarafina. For all of Zuri's talk of being the King's "First-Huntress" the elder lioness was the one who organized the hunting parties. She turned through the twisting passages, being careful not to pay to close attention to the dark stains that filled the tunnels. Eventually, she found the elder lioness' scent and followed it to the source.

"Sarafina, I – Oh." She was surprised to see Sarafina was not alone. With her, was the meerkat, Timon. He glanced up when she entered and gave her a smile.

"Oi. Hi Zuri. How's it going? Grub?" He offered her a deep blue beetle, and Zuri tried to withhold her disgust.

"No thank you." She said. Timon shook his head sadly.

"I'll never understand carnivores. You lived off them for days back in the jungle. Simba always liked them. I remember the first time Nala found him and me taking Snail-Slurps." He said, and gave a sly grin. "Those things are potent. Intoxicating."

"Inebriating, I think is the word." Sarafina said. "I am not surprised my daughter objected." Timon chuckled.

"Do not slander the snails. They got us through Kiara's birth." He said shuddering. That birth had continued for many hours, and Nala's cries and roars of pain had been heard for miles around the Pridelands. Timon had taken the King aside (though he had at first wished to be there with his mate, Rafiki had quickly shoed him from the den and Simba's incessant pacing had required _some _distraction), and the two had slurped snails into the early hours of the morning before Rafiki finally took him to see his safely birthed daughter. He offered Sarafina one of the shiny red insects, and Sarafina eyed it carefully.

"Umm… What is it?"

"Spicy." Timon told her. Sarafina arched an eyebrow. Then gave a shrug.

"Well… I guess since the worlds coming to an end..." And with that, threw the bug into the air, and snapped her jaws around it with an audible crunch. Her expression became thoughtful as she chewed, then swallowed.

"Huh. Spicy. Yet Satisfying." She conceded. "I can't imagine living off them… but the occasional snack?"

"Goodness. I never thought I'd hear it said." Timon said, looking visibly shocked. Sarafina smirked at his shocked expression and Zuri began to laugh. She couldn't help it. The three of them stood there for a moment. Then Timon let out a sigh.

"I should have expected as much from Nala's mother." Timon said. Sarafina blinked.  
"Did… Did Nala eat bugs?" She asked him. Timon snorted.

"Simba kept promising to get Nala to try one, one day. Somehow we never got round to it. She was one tough nut to crack, Nala. Very stubborn." He glanced at Zuri. "Not unlike another lioness I could think of." He said. Sarafina smiled.

"Yeah. I think I know what you mean." She said. Zuri flushed, feeling her face go red at the compliment. Wow. To be compared to the Great Queen Nala, Nala's own mother? She swallowed, looking embarrassed.

"Your mother must be very proud of you." Sarafina said. "I know I would be in her place." She said. Zuri was quiet.

"I haven't heard from my mother in months. I doubt she thinks I am alive by now…" She reminded Sarafina, whose face fell. Surprisingly, it was Timon who broke the silence.

"Did you ever meet my Ma?" He asked Zuri. Zuri thought for a moment. She knew of the meerkat's mother of course. She had a reputation for being a forceful female.

"I… Don't think I ever did." Zuri admitted. Timon nodded.

"When I left the colony, there were plenty of meerkats who were glad to see the back of me." Timon said. Sarafina blinked.

"Why?" She asked him. Timon shrugged.

"Eh. That's a story for another day. They're not the point. The point, is that throughout all of that, my Ma always knew I'd return someday. She trusted in me. And when Nala left the Pridelands to find help, did you give up on her?" he asked Sarafina. Sarafina sighed.

"I _hoped _she wouldn't return, I'll grant you. I thought she'd be far safer out there in the wilds, then under Scars tyrannical rule. But no. I didn't give up on her." Sarafina said. Timon nodded.

"There you are. Your mother… _Damu_ I think her name was? Is from the same people as Sarafina. She's from the same land as my Ma. You got your stubbornness from _someone, _eh? She's probably thinking about you every day, you know. And I am willing to bet you a whole tree trunk of beetles that she _knows, _that wherever you are, you are being _amazing."_ Timon told her, poking Zuri. Zuri smiled.

"I try not to think about them." She admitted quietly. "The people we left behind. I feel guilty. That maybe we ought to have found them first, before going off on our own. I don't know. I wonder if we made the right decision." She admitted. Timon shrugged.  
"Maybe. But we can't change the past. We can only live for the future. And it's something we _can _do, and we do it well, Zuri. Look at what we've accomplished? Hell, look at what _you've _accomplished!" Timon told her.

"That doesn't make it any easier you know. I miss my mother. I miss Sara and Inti and Danyal." She admitted. Sarafina sighed.

"I am sure you do. I spent many years alone… Thinking that I was doing the right thing. I missed my family and my friends. But unlike me, Zuri, you _will _see them again. And when you do, you know something? They are going to know what you've done. They'll see what you have earned, what you have accomplished. And they are going to be _damn _proud of you." Sarafina told her. Zuri nodded.

"You… You're right. Of course you are right." She said. Silently, she berated herself. Timon's nostalgic talk of Simba and Nala had caused her to lower her guard. She'd started thinking about her mother again – always a bad sign – and before she'd known it, she'd been swept away on a tide of nostalgia and sentiment. She shook herself. No time for that now. She had a job to do. So she took what she felt and she stored it away inside herself. Compartmentalizing it for another day. She could feel it again, she told herself. If and when she _did _see her mother again. But she saved those feelings, those thoughts for that day.

"Sarafina. I was wondering… If you would be willing to hunt with me? Just the two of us? Show some of these hyenas how a lioness hunts?" She asked her. Sarafina stood up and nodded.

"It would be a pleasure, Lady Zuri." She told the young lioness. "If you think you could keep up". She said, a playful grin leaking across her face. "I didn't teach you _everything, _after all." She said.

The two lionesses had barely made it two feet out of the mouth of the tunnels before a young hyena rushed to them.

"Lionesses –" he seemed caught as to how to address them, though seemed to recognize them as high ranking members of Kiava's inner circle.

"What's the matter?" Sarafina asked him sharply.

"I need to find the King." The black hyena said quickly. "We've caught a prisoner. A spy of the Shai'tan!" He said. Sarafina sighed.

"Sorry, Zuri. I guess that hunt will have to wait. Someone go and track down the King. We'll deal with _this _issue." She said quickly. Zuri looked up at her, and muttered low.

"Kiava banished a few wilddog survivors of Amun's army. He sentenced them to death if they ever returned." She murmured to him. Sarafina gritted her teeth. This was why she hated suspended punishments. Timon looked concerned.

"But if they've surrendered… What does that mean for Kiava?" He asked her. Sarafina looked around at the vicious hyenas. Many of them had lost loved ones to the Shai'tan's forces. She groaned inwardly. Outwardly she gave a soft growl.

"It means, we had better hope that Kiava is prepared to be as ruthless to enemies as his allies are. Or they may not be his allies for very long." Sarafina said softly. _Of course. _Zuri thought to herself. Such things in life were seldom free. And Kiava may be about to discover the Price to allying with a pack of animals as ruthless and as merciless as the hyenas.

"We had better get going." Zuri said.

* * *

**AN:**

**Fun fact: Gatherings of Vultures ****_are_**** called committees.**

**Lots of interactions here between pairs of characters that don't talk too much now. Much opf the story revolves around Kiava and Zuri, and this chapter reminds us of the relationships between these other secondary characters and the main characters. It also shows us a little more the history of some of the characters, and the emotional foundations of some of them. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	29. Chapter 28 - Reclamation

"**Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long! My life has become very busy recently, and you know how inconvenient that can be. Even so, I can promise you once again, that even if it takes years, this series ****_will_**** be finished. This fic will ****_not _****die, before completion.  
In either case, here is the latest chapter for you feast upon.**

**We'll see some of the myriad of characters throughout the rebellion in action here. Congratulations on keeping track of all of them, but I remind you there is a character glossary in the previous chapter to help you keep track if you forget what species a certain character is. (That said, I am pretty sure I gave each character different enough backstories and temperaments.)**

**Hope you have a fun time!**

* * *

**Lord of Beef Dip:**

Hyena politics is cuththroat. Think Game of Thrones, or The Borgias. It's complex, cynical, bloody, and occasionally lethal. It's also interesting, exciting, and great fun to write.  
The Hyenas of the Shadowlands aren't intelligent by any means, but they do possess a certain degree of low cunning – particularly the Hyena Trio, who absorbed some of Scar's methods by osmosis.  
I do have in my head, an entire history of how Shenzi came to power, but it's not relevant to the Plot, so I have no idea if I'd ever write it.  
The two groups are going to come into contact with each other at some point, have no fear.  
If it is a spy though, it could indeed be tricky for Kiava. The culture clash between lions and hyenas is dangerous. The Hyenas don't really take prisoners, and would see nothing wrong with executing one. To the lions, if someone has surrendered, you are honour bound to show mercy – until they reject that mercy by escape, sabotage, etc. Much like modern warfare, compared to historic warfare. If a man surrenders to you, his life becomes your responsibility.

* * *

**A Friend:  
**Vurugu, is going to be a minor player in the great game that follows, as will the other hyena clans – though of course, he isn't a main character, so if you want to see more of him, be sure to request it.  
And you called it: The Lion King is using vultures as spies. He is indeed starting to become similar to Scar, certainly something that is going to surprise other characters.

And yes, Ookai has a conscience, though he tries to hide it.  
People seem to like Ookai and Bruce. They are an odd couple, but I like them. Silver and Gold. Very unlike the others, and yet also this generation's Timon and Pumba. Glad you're enjoying them!

* * *

**SnakeClaw666:**

Uh huh.  
I couldn't help it.  
I haven't really been following the Lion Guard, but one thing I _did _follow, was the episode where Jasiri made an appearance. (I had to be sure she wasn't too similar to Asante, didn't I?) Well, in the end, I loved the character so much that I had to give a little Easter egg to show her off. And sadly, seeing as we're in book four, there was only one explanation as to her whereabouts.  
I don't know if you caught it, but there was a second Easter Egg there, of a certain blue-eyed Jackal.

* * *

**A Forgotten Place:**

Nope. Not one of the wolves. You will be seeing some of them soon though.  
I doubt anyone would forget Kivuli or Ammit, given that they were in every single chapter of Judgement, but when it comes to move the Glossary to the front of the next Book, I'll add them.

* * *

**Chapter 28: Reclamation**

* * *

"Why would he just up and leave?" Sash asked. "I can't understand it…" The young panther said again."Marsade must have messed him up more than we'd realised." Karina said sadly. Next to her, Calin gave a soft growl.

"I'd have gone with him if he'd asked…" He muttered, as much as to himself as to any of the other fighters. Karina nodded her head understandingly. She wasn't entirely sure if she'd had it in her to just walk away from everything they stood for now, but she understood Calin's frustration. The young leopard cub was clearly devoted to Danyal, and looked up to him. Calin had lead the mission to rescue him. For Danyal to leave on the same day had devastated the young cub, who shot more than one angry look in the direction where Vitani stood, leading the fighters to the front of the group. She didn't fully understand the bad blood between Danyal and Vitani, but she knew enough to know that there was some serious tension between the two. Whatever Marsade had done to him, it had finally ended what little patience he had with her.

"You think he'd have let you go with him?" She asked him in surprise. Calin growled but didn't say anything.

Ahead of them, Sara and Inti walked side by side. Inti was silent and brooding. Sara on the other hand, was expressionless. Next to the both of them, Almasi paced keeping an eye on her children. Danyal's departure from the rebels had hurt them both as much as it had hurt her, and she wasn't about to ignore their pain. Despite it, neither of them had discussed Danyal since he had left.

"Sara… Are you alight?" She asked her daughter kindly. Sara didn't answer at first. Then she sighed.

"I am fine. I just… I just need some time to get used to it. You know I don't think there has ever been a time when Danyal wasn't with us…" She said quietly. That was true. Danyal had been with them since the beginning. What did it say about their cause, if Danyal no longer wanted to be a part of it? Perhaps Vitani _had_ pushed him too far. Almasi sighed.

"I think we're nearly ready. Yessen and Rafiki have been at it for a while, and I think Sundar is helping them. They have it mostly figured out now. Are you sure you want to come with us?" Almasi asked her. Sara nodded firmly. Of the entire rebel group, everyone except the two other leopards that had arrived with Jahi and Talib, were going with them. The Asiatics, the Priderlanders, and the freed slaves, were finally going to make their move. She wasn't going to remain behind willingly. Even the leopards had expressed discomfort – but as Vitani had pointed out, they couldn't very well leave half a dozen captured wilddogs at Five Stones unguarded. But the vast majority of the fighters were going with them.

Sara swallowed, feeling an anxious glimmer of excitement, mixed with gnawing worry in the pit of her stomach. Then nodded again.

"I am still coming. Inti and I will both be ready." She said, nodded. Then, the ghost of a smile danced over her lips. "Don't worry. I won't try to fight anything bigger than a wilddog. Nothing that could step on me, at any rate. You don't need to worry." She said, aware at how that sounded. It did nothing to reassure Almasi. Her mother hesitated. Then nodded.

"I won't ever stop worrying. But it's your choice." Almasi said. She nuzzled her daughter. "Good luck." she told her, briefly. Sara nodded.

Ahead of them, some distance away, Sundar sat next to Yessen. Between them, sat a long thin, blacked rod. It was Marsade's staff, and it was alive with red light coursing up and down its length. Both of Sundar's paws sat on each side of it. She felt it burn at her touch.

Next to her, Rafiki nodded anxiously.

Then, as a single entity, the three Shaman moved. Rafiki lifted up his left hand, and twisted it. In front of them, a brilliant point of light burnt into existence. It hovered there for a moment, and Yessen have a grunt, lifting his own paw up. Green, Gold and Blue light reverberated around them, shimmering like a mirage, and when Yessen opened his eyes, the same green fire leapt within his irises. The point of light twisted, and moved, leaving behind it a trail, like a comet. And the world began to tear. Sundar's breath caught.  
She'd reopened Gateways before, even hacked her way through one in the Battle of the Glade, but this was the first time she'd tried to open one with an active destination in mind. Rafiki and Yessen directed most of the power. It took a lot out of her. To think that Marsade had created dozens, probably _hundreds _of these. The thought was staggering. She swallowed, and tried again, the scent of seasalt moving around her. She smiled.  
The Gateway shimmered.  
And it held. She let out a breath as the Gateway rippled for the merest of moments. Then it was still. It was stable. She released her power, and the Gateway didn't collapse. A Stable Gateway, existing independent of her own power. Beside her, Yessen and Rafiki let out breaths of relief, indicated that they too had withdrawn their power.

"Well done." Yessen said slowly, looking to Sundar, who smiled in pride. "You've come so far." He said, proudly. Yessen had been doing his best to teach Sundar, but it was difficult. Never before had any new Shaman appeared. It was a new experience for the both of them. And in the wake of Danyal's departure, she'd welcomed the distraction and thrown herself headfirst into her studies of her new gift. Sundar looked to Vitani, and nodded. Vitani looked the Gateway up and down, and at the sunlit savannah that lay beyond. Vitani turned back to look at the animals. Asiatics, rebel fighters, the remnants of the Pridelands. All of those who were prepared to fight for the Kingdom. Prepared to fight for the Pridelands. For justice, for what was right. For anger, and wrath and ruin. For personal vengeance. Vitani let loose a bellowing roar. The assembled animals tensed at the sound bringing them to attention. They looked to Vitani with anticipation. There was an excitement to the air. A quiet chill. Like a build-up of an electric charge. Trepidation lingered in the air.

"Friends!" She cried out. Speeches were not her thing. No rousing words of encouragement that might set blood pounding, and heart thumping. Perhaps Kovu could have said something. Kiara, for sure, would have known something wise, something uplifting to say to those. Instead, Vitani elected for honesty.

"The Shai'tan have taken so much from us! They have taken our homes! Our children! Our parents! Our friends. They have hunted us down like vermin!" She spat those last words. "They preach a rule of the strong! They believe they are untouchable, because of their might! That they can live, unpunished for their crimes. Today they learn, that the justice of the Kings, comes to all! Strong and weak! They take pride in the pain they inflict. In the lives they've taken! In the people whose lives they have ruined! Think on that now. The King's they've killed, the land's they've burned, the females they've raped and the destruction they have wrought!" There was sound. A low growling, a resentful drone of hatred and bitterness. "Now it is _our _turn! Our turn to take something _back. _Our turn to wield _our _strength. Our turn to fight! Not for our own strength! Not for passion and pleasure! But for the sake of Right! For the Pridelands!" She shouted. That gained a response. She roared once again, and there was an answering roar from those who followed her. Without another word, she turned, and marched straight through the Gateway. Behind her, the animals surged as they followed her through.

The Sun's position changed as they passed through the Gateway, and for a moment, it filled her vision, causing Vitani blink painfully.

She looked around. And her breath caught. She heard other emerging from the Gateway behind her, but did not turn. Instead, her whole attention occupied by the blackened shape before them.

The great stone of Pride Rock lay on its side. The standing stone was toppled, cracked, and split into multiple shards of splintered rock. It was blackened and burnt. A great husk of its former self. Broken. The grass beneath her paw was dead, and charred, ash covered the area.

"It's so different…" She heard behind her. Vitani turned, the sound breaking her from her trance. Damu looked around at the ruins. The others passed through without a word. Even those, like the asiatics, who had never been to Pride Rock before now, seen Pride Rock with their own eyes stood in respectful silence. Inti's expression was hard at the sight. He kicked over a blackened piece of wood. It splintered at his touch. The whole place was dead.

"It's still ours home." Vitani told them both. "It's cracked. Damaged. No unlike its people. But this is _still _our home. Still the throne of Lion King." She said firmly. Behind them, the Gateway shimmered, and closed. All of the animals had passed through safely. Vitani looked to the nearest rebel fighter. It was the panther triplets. Ras, Rei and Sash.

"You two. Scout the base of Pride Rock. I want to know if anyone has taken up residence below. Everyone else, stay ready. Damu, with me." She said clearly as the triplets darted off to investigate. And the lionesses moved into the dens.

It was very different. The very architecture of the den had shifted and changed with the collapse of Pride Rock. It didn't feel like. It felt… cold. Dead. She exhaled. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and and she looked at the cave walls. They were blackened and dark, like outside. The fire had permeated the dens themselves.

Even so, she swallowed as she moved into the den.

"Here…" She said after a few moments. "It was here." Damu looked around.

"I never thought I'd ever come back to this place." She observed.

"Kovu stood right there. He stood right in that spot, there. Where they cut him down." Vitani stared. There was nothing. No body, no skeletal remains. "What do you suppose they did with him?" Vitani asked her, suddenly aghast. It wasn't something she had considered before now. But the thought of the Shai'tan defiling the body of her brother filled her with digust and dread. Damu sighed.

"I am not sure. I doubt they bothered the move the bodies when they burnt this place into a ruin though. That fire was hot enough to blacken rock, to sear the land. If they left anything, it would be burnt to nothing but ash by now." Damu said. Vitani wasn't sure if that was a comfort or a curse. In either case, she sighed. Then her breath caught as she spotted something on the walls. It was dark, and she moved closer to see. There. Drawings. Painted in colours made from fruits, seeds, buts and barks. Drawn with Rafiki's own hand. Faces she knew. It was nothing compared to the majesty that had covered the Tree of Life. Rafiki's masterpiece had been forever blasted into oblivion by Marsade there. But she knew his drawings on sight. She had forgotten that, here and there throughout Pride Rock, little pieces of his art remained. Most would have been destroyed by the fire, invisible and burnt to a cinder now – and there hadn't been that many to begin with. She squinted, trying to make out the picture. It was a lion cub. A dark mane? She couldn't tell. It could have been Ahadi, or Mohatu, or Kovu or Scar or some other king whose name they didn't recall, for all she knew. She looked around for other clues, hoping to see some sign of his identity. A tree there. The edge of a herd of Zebra there. There was nothing. She looked around for more, some trace of other art, some indication that there had been other kings, others who lived in Pride Rock long before they had been born. But there was nothing. No sign of anything that might have survived the inferno. That history had been lost now, forever. She growled in frustration, and emerged from the den brooding in silence.

"Vitani!" Rei shouted to her as she emerged. "There's no sign of anything. Not for miles. We can't see any trace of the herds, either. There's the skeletal remains of a few fresh kills not far from here, but no sign of anything that might have made them. The area's deserted." He said. Vitani frowned. That didn't sound quite right. _Nobody _was nearby? She'd expected to find scavengers, spies, or _something_ in the very least. Vitani opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a sudden roar. It was deep, rumbling, and unnaturally loud. So loud that some of the smaller animals leapt that the sound, and winced in pain.

"**So you've come here at last, Lady Vitani." **Vitani's eyes jerked to the top of Pride Rock. It was at a peculiar angle, but it was unmistakably the perch from which Simba had so often surveyed his kingdom, from where the royal heirs of the past had witnessed the sunrise, and beheld the glory of the Pridelands. To see Mortread stand there, in the footsteps of so many of his betters, made her sick in her stomach, and her blood boil.

"Mortread**." **Vitani almost spat the words. She spoke them, almost like a challenge. Mortread inclined his head.

"**I had wondered how long it would take you to come here. You could only stay away for so long. I would wager your heart has burned for this from the moment the King was defeated, and Pride Rock destroyed. Though I can't begin to guess what it is you see in a burnt out ruin." **He said, his tone faintly mocking, self-assured. Arrogant.

"You could never begin to understand the attachment we Pridelanders have for this place, Mortread. Never even begin to guess what meaning it holds for us." Vitani spat.

"**On the contrary, I understand that ****_perfectly._****"** Mortread smirked. **"In fact, I was rather ****_counting _****on it." **He said. **"If, you would be so kind, Marsade?"** He gestured with a paw. Then a strange thing happened. The air around him, began to ripple. To shimmer, as if beneath a shallow pool of water. The light reflecting off in such a way as to look… _off _somehow_._ Then, like a veil being torn away, they could suddenly behold the full scale of Mortread's forces. Vitani took a step back as, out of thin air, standing on the rocky outcrops before them, in the crevices, in the splintered crags of Pride Rock's shape she beheld countless pairs of eyes. Like maggots in a rotting corpse, the forces of the Imperium lingered in the broken remains of Pride Rock.

"**It is fitting that you have chosen to come here to die, Vitani. You can die in the pawprints of your brother, and join your ancestors in death. Farewell, Vitani, Zirasdaughter." **Mortread said. Then the wilddogs fell upon the Pridelanders. Vitani roared as the wilddogs thundered towards her.

"Pridelanders! Form up, stand together!" She shouted desperately.

"_INTI_?!" Almasi screamed, looking around for her son. Vitani thought she saw a flash of orange flame fur, spin standing with Darina and Koron.

"Talib! With me!" She heard Jahi call.

Koron gave a roar.

Sara gave a shout, and suddenly she was standing to Vitani's left side with the Panther triplets.

She heard Helio give a roar, the Asiatics coming together behind her.

Then the wilddogs crashed into the Pridelanders, and there was chaos, too much chaos, too much confusion to see the others, or to keep track of everyone she fought with. A wilddog snapped at her, and Vitani dived to the side, drawing her claws and giving one last roar of anger, before she carved into the nearest wilddog with her claws, feeling blood spray into the air. Another bit at her back as she was turned to the side. Vitani bucked, throwing the unfortunate canine clear. It landed awkwardly and grunted as the wind was forced from its lungs. The wilddogs eyes widened in panic as Vitani charged towards it, and seized it by the neck. It only managed one strangled yelp of pain and fear before Vitani's jaws snapped around throat. With its throat bitten out, it was dead even before Vitani jerked her head to the side and snapped the creature's neck with a single movement. She dropped the cadaver without a second thought, and looked around wildly, trying to find allies in the chaos. They had been caught unprepared, and she feared they'd be overwhelmed in moments.  
It was no easier for the the other fights. Inti weaved under a snapping wilddog, and gave a snarl. Behind him, he heard Koron dispatch the wilddog, who had made a second careless lunge at the younger cub, mistaking the young for the vulnerable. Inti heard a familiar snarl, and looked towards the oncoming wilddogs, there, standing between a darker wilddog, and an ugly brute with blue eyes, stood a familiar foe.

"_HARRIN!" _Inti spat the name like an insult. Harrin started at the cry of his name, his eyes narrowing when he saw the flamehaired cub a short distance away. Harrin was the larger by far, but that didn't stop Inti from bowing his head in challenge and letting lose a growl of anger. Blue eyes charged at Inti. Which was a mistake. Inti turned, and clawed at the wilddog, biting at his neck with a viciousness Harrin hadn't seen before. The dog gave a yelp of pain and fear, and jerked, trying to dislodge Inti, but the young cub had latched onto his fur with the hooks of his claws, and clung on, biting and clawing as he did so. After a moment, Inti adjusted his grip, and felt his teeth close around something tender. He bit down hard, feeling blood fill his throat with its metallic warmth then redoubled his bite. Flesh tore, and the dog gave a weak cry, before dropping to the ground.  
Perhaps, if Inti had been older, he'd have been strong enough to snap the creature's neck. Perhaps if he'd been older, he'd have been able to sever the creature's spine.  
Inti wasn't older. Instead, the wilddog dropped to the ground with a gurgle of pain as blood filled his lungs. It choked and coughed as its life bled away, slowly and painfully.

Harrin hadn't moved. He'd watched the entire ordeal. Inti spat out the blood that had found its way into his mouth. Disgusting creatures. Like vermin. Hunting wilddogs was like eating _rats. _He'd be lucky if he avoided catching something.

"I warned you…" Inti said quietly. Harrin heard, even over the sounds of the battle. "I told you if I ever saw you again, I'd kill you myself."

"I regret _nothing." _Harrin told him sharply. Inti felt his anger build.

"Of course you don't. You're a monster." Inti said coldly. Harrin shouted a laugh.

"Because I frighten small children?"

"Because what they did, _Harrin,_ was monstrous. What Asamode has done, what Mortread has done. What Leviath and Rish'ut did, that was _monstrous. _And you helped them. You are a monster. And you'll die cold, alone and unmourned, like _all _monsters do."

"If you're right… and I _am_ a monster. You should be careful. Monsters are dangerous. And only the good die young." Harrin said. And with that, he charged towards Inti, who didn't run. He crouched low, and met Harrnin's charge with his own.

"Inti!?" He heard Koron shout. The dark young cub was covered in blood – though seemed unharmed. His matted, filthy fur glistened, and his eyes narrowed to slits when he saw who Inti fought. Harrin's advantages were clear, but Harrin had learned to fight in a pack. With people guarding his back. Koron waited for a moment, for Harrin's attention to be solely fixed on Inti, and then he leapt through the air. He made contact, dragging his claws across Harrin's back. The wilddog gave a genuine scream of shock and hurt as white hot pain leapt across his back. Harrin limped backwards, as Inti landed. A few visible bite marks were red and raw on his shoulder, but may have been tics or lice for all it bothered him. Harrin turned, and stared at Koron in shock.

"What?" Koron asked, letting a grin light up his face. "You thought we'd fight fair? You didn't watch many of my fights, did you?" He asked him lightly, but his eyes were blazing with an unbridled fury.

Another pair of jaws struck at Vitani, as she struggled to fight off multiple attackers. She was a clear target for the wilddogs, and they made no effort to disguise their targeting of the rebel leaders. She gave another roar and the dogs scrambled back, giving her a moment to breath.

"Stand together!" She shouted over the din. To her right she saw one of the asiatics become separated from the group, and was immediately set upon by half a dozen wilddogs, dragging her to the ground. To her left, Helio gave a horrified shout. They were being picked off like flies.

"Vitani! We're being surrounded!" Lukaan shouted towards her. He was right. The encroaching wilddogs were forcing the rebels to fight with their backs towards Pride rock – or what remained of it.

"What do we do?!" She heard Calin shout fearfully. The young leopard cub was nearby and

"Get –" She ducked the attack of a second wilddog, dragging it to the ground, and biting down on its deck. "Get to higher ground! Don't get separated! We can win this! Their numbers are thinning – we've won harder fights before!" She gave the orders quickly and loudly, and to her immense gratitude to whatever Kings, Spirits or Gods still looked upon this world, she saw the various fighters and rebels obey, moving together, some climbing onto the rocky outcrops. She looked up again to see Mortread watching the battle, from where he stood. He hadn't leapt down from the rocky outcrop above their heads, but was content, to merely sit there, tail swishing, almost nonchalantly, a mere witness to the carnage below. He wasn't even fighting. Wasn't even risking his own skin. Just hurling minions and underlings at them as if their lives were worth nothing.

"Mortread!" Vitani gasped the word. "You coward!" She shouted up at him. Without direction, without guidance, the wilddogs were easily dispatched. Each time they had fought with the wilddogs the Pridelanders had repelled or defeated them. Only when they'd been led by the Shai'tan, the tigers of the Imperium, did they suffer loss after loss. If she could draw Mortead into the fight herself… Somehow overwhelm him with the aid of the others… The Shai'tan weren't immortal. Sekmet had died. Rish'ut had died. They bled. They died. Mortread though, looked down upon her coldly.

"**For so long…" **He spoke the words with such disdain, such disgust. **"You and your ilk have stood against the Imperium. I do not often take pleasure from inflicting pain, but I will remember yours, fondly." **Vitani gave a shout of anger, and leapt up into the air, clawing onto the outcrop of rocks, and pulling herself up. With a second leap, she landed in front of Mortread. Mortread took a prudent step back, and avoided the imminent arc of her claws.

"Not as fondly as I shall remember yours… If anyone so much as remembers your name." Vitani hissed. Mortread gave a bark, and the wilddogs around him withdrew. They'd only get in the way, and were liable to get themselves injured – either at Vitani's claws or his own. Mortread gave a roar, and struck first. Vitani rolled under his claws. She hated being forced to dodge and weave. Had she been fighting someone of her physical build, she'd attempt to block, to use her own not inconsiderable strength to endure the hit, and respond in kind. But she'd seen a Shai'tan's claws sever a wilddogs head from its shoulders, and had no wish to replicate the experience for herself.

The roll took her under Mortread's guard, and when she recovered, she stabbed at Mortread's exposed flank with both claws, latching on, and biting forward. Mortread bucked, twisting his own neck round to bite at her, locking the two of them together, as they clawed and bit at each other's neck. Mortead didn't let out so much as a sound, as Vitani's bit at his neck, but he managed to force as gasp of pain from Vitani, as white hot pain shot through her. Stunned for a moment, Morterad pulled away, knocking her flailing claws away from him with a single blow, and delivering a second blow to the side of Vitani's head. The blow knocked her to the ground, sending Vitani into gruelling nausea, her head spinning. She staggered to her feet, but Mortread struck again knocking her to the ground. Vitani gasped in pain, looking up at the powerful tiger before her.

"**Your mother was able to defeat Rish'ut. Your brother fought the Emperor himself long enough to secure your escape from this very place! And what have you done with the life he traded his for? Fought a meaningless war for months, only to return here to die – and undo everything they died for. I would never have believed you were from the same family." **Mortread said disdainfully. There was a look of contempt in his eyes. Disgust. It wasn't that she'd fought the Imperium. It wasn't even that she'd stood between him and his goals. It was simply the single thing that all Shai'tan despised. Weakness. He thought her weak. And just like that, she meant nothing to him. This vile thing, this murderer, this hated enemy of everything the Pridelands stood for, the symbol of the oppression and misery the Shai'tan brought with them wherever they went. He didn't give a damn about the people he was killing.

"I would die a thousand times over to lead the Pridelands to victory!" Vitani protested, struggling to her feet again. There was glimmer then, something in Mortread's eye. Respect, for an opponent to just wouldn't stay down? No. Something crueller.

"Perhaps. But instead, you've lead the Pridelands to their Death." Mortread said. Then he let out a roar that echoed around Pride Rock.

* * *

A short distance away, at the base of Pride Rock, Leviath looked up, and turned to Marsade.

"**_And that, Marsade would be… how do you say it? Our Cue? Enter Stage Leviath." _**She smirked. Marsade gave a chuckle. He didn't often allow himself the indignity of sharing humour with the Shai'tan he worked with.

"It does make you wonder… Whether they'll _ever _stop falling for this…" He shared a grin.

You'd think, after the collapse of Shien's Spear, Yessen and Rafiki would be more wary of illusions. Especially after seeing Mortread's smallish army of wilddogs materialise out of thin air. Marsade gave a quick motion of his staff, dispelling the air of concealment he'd laid around the second, larger force of creatures loyal to the Shai'tan. Leviath with her much larger pack of wilddogs charged towards the Pridelanders. Now they were surrounded. Leviath, spymistress of the Imperium, almost let lose a purr at the thought of her fighters materialising out of nothing charging towards the now terrified rebels. At her side, two great wolves tensed in excitement. They were dignified for so much of the time, yet even they were vulnerable to bloodlust. One of them let loose a great echoing howl. Leviath looked at the vicious creatures fondly.

"**_Congratulations, Princess Castella. Your first command. What an _****intriguing ****_suggestion."_** She said, without the faintest trace of sarcasm. It had, after all, been Castella's idea to hide a second force, and so surround the rebels once they made the fateful decision of fighting Mortread's first force. It had been built on Mortread's initial idea, and one good plan didn't make you a military genius. Even so, Mortread had been proud of her, and that was enough for her. Small steps. She'd need to lead entire armies by the time she succeeded her father.

"**_Lady Leviath… Your wolves hunger for the fight…" _**Castella said. The Princess of the Imperium stood alongside the Shaman and the Shai'tan, with others giving her a respectful berth. The daughter of the Imperium rarely fought in battles, and never alone. She stared out over the battle, looking for the part of Pride Rock where she knew Mortread to be standing. She'd never stood and watched a battle before, in which he'd participated. It was nerve wracking. She ground her teeth in anger. It was easy to become angry. And it didn't weaken you in the way fear did. It made you faster, stronger, more alive and more powerful. Even Zira had understood that simple truth. And now she saw what could only be Zira's daughter fighting with Mortread.

"**_Nighteye, Ironfang. Join the fight. End this… juvenile rebellion once and for all." _**Leviath commanded. The two wolves barked excitedly, and charged with the other fighters. Castella watched them go. She could smell the blood of battle from where she stood. It would be over soon. Just like that, the flame of rebellion would be snuffed out. The Imperium would be at peace. And Mortread, _her _Mortread would have been the one in command when it happened. Any previous errors, any unfair criticism laid upon him thanks to Rish'ut or Amun's or Sekmet's incompetence would be expunged. It thrilled her. Perhaps her father would be pleased enough with Mortread's victory to contemplate blessing their relationship? Such a thing only happened in their wildest dreams – but then again, the conquest of the known world was nothing, if not the fulfilment of centuries worth of dreams? This, Castella decided, was going to be a good day.

* * *

Vitani gasped in shock. She heard the cries of fear, and turned in abject terror to see the second pack of wilddogs, led by wolves, and a handful of panthers storming towards the rebels. Their only escape was cut off. She turned back to Mortread who was smiling.

"**_You, Lady Vitani, have failed._**** The Pridelands will fall.****_"_**He told her, and stepped forward, claws unsheathed again. The claws slammed down onto empty air, as Vitani gave a grunt, and rolled from the edge of the outcrop. She fell several feet, knocking against the rocks on the world down, and landing with a grunt, continuing to roll. Immediately, Damu and Almasi had leapt to her defence, keeping wilddogs off her as she crawled to her feat, bruised and bleeding. She looked back up to Morrtead. The youngest of the Shai'tan looked down at her. Then, turned away, nodding to few wilddogs who had hung back with him as the battel had begun. The last of his forces rushed forward, joining the fight, and the lionesses were forced back.

Lukaan struggled with a wolf who head leapt over the heads of the attacking wilddogs, and fixed itself to Lukaan's neck. The wolf was big and heavy, larger than any wilddog or hyena he'd ever fought, and it bit with savagery and viciousness. Near him, he saw Helio grappling with a second wolf. Lukaan threw his attacker clear, but it landed on all fours, and leapt at him again almost instantly, granting him no respite.

"Inti! We're cut off!" Calin called out, sounding frightened. Nearby, Sundar gave a shout of waring, and bit into a wilddog who'd dived at the young leopard cub. She could see they were right. They were outnumbered now and surrounded. Attackers were pressing in from all sides. The spaces between individual fighters were becoming smaller, tighter.

"Rafiki! Do something!" Sundar called, but Rafiki was two pressed to work with Yessen to create a gateway. He was too busy trying to beat back half a dozen wilddogs, twirling his staff like a wheel before him. Yessen conjured enough of his power to hurl a barrage of rocks and boulders at a leaping wilddog, and the stone crushed into it with a sickening _crunch. _Calin gave a shout struck at a wilddog which leapt towards him, giving a bark, and biting at him. Calin gave a swipe, and the dog recoiled in pain, lines of scarlet appearing on its cheek. Calin didn't have time to celebrate though, for a second wilddog leapt at him, and forced him back, even as the first recovered and attacked him from the flank. He stumbled back, facing an onslaught from two sides. He rolled to the ground, and struck up, gripping one dog at the throat, and bit towards it, trying to bite out something vital-

He gave a sharp cry as white hot pain hit his flank. The second wilddog had used his attack on his partner, to circle around, and Calin felt with ice cold shock a pair of jaws close around a part of his flank, pulling him clear of the wilddog and throwing him to the ground in a thump. Then, the wilddog was on his, biting savagely, as Calin tried to stand up, tried to get clear, tried to get the wilddog off him as savage pain hit him from all sides.

"ARGH!" Calin couldn't stop the scream, and it drew the attention of the of the other rebel fighters, who looked on in shock as they saw a wilddog ravaging at Calin's neck.

"NO!" Jahi shouted, the older leopard rushing forwards and crashing into the offending wilddog. Calin was lying on the ground, blood leaking from an open wound in the young leopard's neck, where the wilddog had bitten out a large chunk of flesh over a series of vicious bites. Sundar felt her heart stop as she saw the leopard lying there, precious blood leaking around him. Something burst inside her. She let lose a scream of fear and anger. Something cold boiled in her, shooting through her veins. Blue light shot out around her, catching two wilddogs in the chest, sending spears of ice shooting through them. The stakes of ice crystallised into being around her, and forced the various attackers back, giving her room. One of the two wolves leapt back, but the second was a moment too slow, and caught a spear to the stomach. It glistened ruby red, water and blood mingling as it continued to grow, widening the wound as it forced its way through it. Sundar jerked her paw to the side, and the icicles stopped. The wolf let out as cough. The spear had impaled him through and through, and all but lifted him from the ground. Sundar rushed to Calin, and reached inside her for more power. She was exhausted and didn't know how much energy she had left within her. But she could hardly do nothing.

Calin coughed, and chocked, spitting up more blood. His lungs were filling with blood. Something in his throat had been cut.

"Rafiki!" She gasped in shock. "_Help_ _me_!"_Please. Oh spirits, not now._ Without hesitation, Rafiki pressed a hand to Sundar back and she felt her well of power ripple, as Rafiki's shamanism made itself accessible to her. The feeling was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It was like perceiving a new colour, or feeling a new sensation. It was like a river flowing into a lake, and sudden rush of power made her gasp with the cold. The scent of Sea Air hit them, and blue tendrils of mist burst from her. With a grunt, she thrust her thoughts towards the injured leopard forwards, and they flickered and plunged into Calin's shuddering body. The cub jerked as shamanic energy rippled through him.

"…_Sundar…"_ He gasped, recognising her. His eyes were wide with fear and pain. "…I…"

"Sssh. Don't try to talk!" Sundar urged him, "I have you. I've got you. You'll be okay. You're going to be fine, just… just let me…" She rambled off and Calin felt the pain dull. She'd seen her work her magic on Danyal, but never experienced it himself. She was exhausted though, her expression gaunt, her eyes red and raw. She'd worn herself out conjuring the gateway with the other Shaman, and even then continued to fight with more terrestrial means when they'd come under attack. Rafiki, for all his power, didn't look too well either. Calin saw all this, and swallowed, feeling sick in the pit of his stomach.

"Sundar… I never said thank you… To you… or to Danyal…" He grunted. "If… You see Danyal again… Tell him that I said thanks. For everything. And then punch him for me… I'd have gone with him if he'd waited but an hour…" He muttered. Sundar shook her head. Danyal. Danyal had practically taken care of the cub when he'd joined the rebels. He'd be devastated to hear of this.

"You can tell him yourself, you'll be fine. I have you. I am here. You are going to be _fine." _She said firmly, refusing to even contemplate the alternative. Behind her, Jahi gave a roar, and bit out the throat of the wilddog, before turning to see Calin.

"Calin!" The older leopard looked shocked, taking in the younger leopards injuries with wide eyes.

"Jahi…"

The two leopards looked at one another, and Calin felt a twinge of guilt for all he had done and said to Jahi. He still believed, he still _knew_ that Jahi's actions had been wrong. But Jahi was here now. He was fighting alongside them. He was making amends. That was all anyone could do right? He gasped in pain. A slit throat, was not conductive to thinking on such things. Instead, he gave a grunt.

* * *

Marsade watched the battle and allowed his face to contort into a twisted smirk. He saw the flash of blue light, the whirling of blue light. That meant that the enemy Shaman had begun to expend their power. Amplifying his own voice he let out a scream of his own.

"YESSEN! RAFIKI!"Marsade shouted into the air.

It carried, unnaturally loud, amplified yet again by his perverse magic, and echoing for all to hear. He lifted his arm, and light flared. Taking a breath, he delved deep into his own power. Deep into the abyss. He felt his own power rage against him. Wild. Untamed. It writhed and roared and pulsed. Exhaling, he drenched himself in its power, feeling his shattered soul rage against his will like a caged beast. When his eyes opened, they were bright with iridescent crimson light. Mist, the colour of blood blasted from his body, filling the area in scarlet light. His shamanic power burst around him. The ground split and cracked in the heat, the grass turning to ash in a second. Heat scorched the earth. Flexing a muscle, he reached once more for his power diving into it with both hands. Unrelenting, reckless and without any form or control. And thrust it out wildly.

Flame leapt up, shooting from the palm of his hand with a flash and a flare of heat that could be felt even from some distance away. There was a sound like a crack of thunder, and he was high in the air. Flying around him, the Rods of Margane and Halien whirled, glowing with their own light. Currents of wind propelled him into the air. For a brief moment, he beheld the assembled creatures. Wilddog, lion, wolf, leopard. Shai'tan. All of them beneath his feet. Then he hurled the boiling, seething mass of flame and heated air at the ground, where it broke apart, spraying heat and detonating with enough force to split the ground.

Harrin, Koron and Inti, locked in combat were thrown clear. Koron landed on his side with a grunt, whilst Inti gave a shout of pain. Harrin snarled in anger at the Shaman, then, feeling the heat nearby, withdrew quickly, having no wish to perish due to the empathic deficiencies of the Shaman supposedly fighting on their side. Mortread looked up in shock. Leviath gave an impressed smile.

Sundar watched in abject horror as fire rained upon them. Yessen moved his own rod, and a pair of boulders lifted into the air, and shielded them from the rain of flame that scattered around them.

"He's going to killed everyone!" She shouted in fear, unable to bring herself to pull away from Calin.

"No! He knows that if he expends his power fighting mere mortals, he will fall to either Rafiki or myself. Why do you think he's restrained himself for so long – certainly not from compassion? No… He's trying to draw us out." Yessen said.

"Then… How do we stop him?!" Sundar asked in panic. Rafiki nodded,

"We… Must give him what he wants." Yessen said firmly. Rafiki rose to his feet, but Yessen shook his head. "No! Sundar isn't strong enough to keep Calin alive alone." Yessen said. The Leopard shut his eyes.

"Just go… Leave me." Calin said. Yessen shook his head.

"You can do more helping Calin than you can helping me. If you try to fight Marsade he will kill you without a second thought and the first _new _Shaman to be born in eon's will be lost for nothing!" Yessen protested firmly. Sundar hesitated. She was already exhausted from her gifts. She looked towards the burning orangutan, looking for all the world like a shrieking devil. She hesitated.  
"Then take this!" She said, snapping up Marsade's Staff in his jaws and throwing it to Yessen. The Baboon caught the rod deftly in his open hand, and held both staffs before him. He gave his brother a curt nod, then knelt to the ground. It rumbled and cracked as the power of the earth opened itself to him. Yessen's eyes burst into glorious green light, showering the area in verdant light. The ground beneath him broke apart, and a shard of rock lifted itself free from the ground. Yessen grunted with the strain, and then he was gone, flying at Marsade to challenge his fallen brother. Rafiki watched him go, and shuddered. They each possessed two Rod's of the Shaman. It could be an even fight. He just hoped that the rest of them would be able to survive the fallout.

At a distance even further from the ruined remains of Pride Rock, a pair of crimson eyes witnessed the battel. The distance ought to have made it impossible to see such things, but the Emperor was no ordinary creature. He watched. Calmly. Motionless. As far away from him, but still within sound and sight, Shaman battled in the air. And on the ground below, a whole host of animals clawed and bit and tore at each other, for the express purpose of erasing each other from the face of the earth. Death. Life. Blood. Battle. It was a pure expression of emotion. And of those emotions, fear, anger, fury brimmed and raged against the backdrop of the Pridelands, like a solitary flame in the nights sky.

"**_So, this is how the Pridelands fall. I must admit I'd have thought I'd play a more… direct role…" _**Raeveal grumbled.

"**Be quiet." **The Emperor snapped. Raeveal lounged on the ground some distance away. Around them, three Ligers stood motionless. The great monstrous creatures were silent, hulking beasts. Two of them were Asamode's spawn, created in the depths of Shein's Spear. The third, younger and lither beast, was Raeveal's singular contribution to Marsade's experiments. Raeveal had been enthralled at the idea of Marsade's shamanistic experiments, if a little disgusted with the… _mechanics… _of creating a Liger. He'd eventually overcome his trepidation, and taken no pleasure in the events that had followed. Perhaps mercifully, his spawns' mother had spent most of the process unconscious.

Asamode on the hand, had taken perverse pleasure in spawning these abominations. Raeveal shuddered at his fellow Shai'tan's depravity.

The Emperor had – for some reason – not created one of his own, despite Raeveal's excited speculations as to what a Liger generated from the _Emperor's _own seed would be capable of. Perhaps the Emperor simply had no wish to provide Castella with a twisted, demonic halfbrother.

"**You're time shall come, Raeveal. When we need to wipe these…**_**other**__…_**Shaman from the earth… Besides. It is better to let them think they have a chance of winning this fight. If they knew it was hopeless, why would they continue to fight? Hope, Raeveal, is the trap, the trick, the lure, that leads to their extermination."**

"…_**I… By your command, Emperor."**_ Raeveal conceded. Asamode on the other hand, watched in anticipation.

"_**You seem… Preoccupied."**_ The Emperor motioned to Asamode. Asamode smirked.

"_**Just enjoying the show." **_And what a finale it will have.

"_**I… Do not blame you. Today… yes. Today is the day it all ends. The day where all rebellion in the Pridelands is snuffed out." **_The Emperor said. Asamode nodded.

"_**Oh, indeed." **_How wrong you are, Emperor. How wrong you are. Today… is not the day of endings. Today, is the day it _begins._ He grinned maliciously, and settled down to watch the continuing battle.

* * *

**AN:**

**Here you go.  
Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully it was worth it! I can't say when the next chapter will be up – but hopefully soon. Just to let you know, this will be followed by two more chapters – of similar length – and an epilogue (Which may end up being as long as a chapter in and of itself).**

**This will be followed by a longer break as I finish the outlines of the final book in the series, and go back and redo part of the previous books. Inferno and Storm will likely merely receive a "Service", with a full check for grammar, spelling and continuity, and potentially restore a few deleted scenes. (Several of the Seven Shai'tan hadn't been fully fleshed out, but I might restore them.) Flood and Tremors are more likely to receive more serious treatments, and there will be some reworking of some concepts that were dropped at later dates.  
For instance, the Songs will be removed, and there will be more "Villain" Scenes, showing their viewpoints in the earlier books.  
These will be the "Remastered" Versions that will be uploaded to other Fanfiction sites.**

**I remind you that I will not be changing the plotline or story, so don't feel you ****_need_**** to read it, if you read the classic versions. It will be the same story. Just – hopefully – told better.**

**In any case we should be looking at a 2017 conclusion of the series, if all goes as planned.**

**Also, a few comments:  
I Really appreciate your reviews. They really help me get down and finish the chapters. Even if it's just a few people out there in the big wide world who are pleased with this story, that's good enough reason to finish this story.  
The only time this series dies, is when nobody enjoys it. At which point, there is little point in continuing. However, until such a time, I am sticking around.  
So, if you're a regular reader, but haven't reviewed in a long time, I am very interested to hear how you think the series is progressing. What makes you keep returning to this story? Is there a burning question you need answering? Is there a character you particularly like? Let me know!**

**Also, fun fact: The series so far has approximately, 714,000 words in it!  
To give that context, The Lord of the Rings, has aprox. 481,000 words,**

**If the final book ends up being the same length as Inferno? That gives me an aprox. Total word count of 1M Words. Which is the same in length as all books published so far, in A Song of Ice and Fire, Steven King's "Dark Tower", and Harry Potter.**  
**So there is a target to go for, isn't there? Let's make it to 1M words.**

**I wonder if that makes me a serious Author?**


	30. Chapter 29 - Reckoning

"**Hello everyone! Welcome to the 1v1 you've all been waiting for! Marsade Vs Yessen!**

**So how you all been doing? I hope it's been fun. We've had a heat wave in the UK recently. Which, given out national inability to cope with the slightest deviation from the metrological norm of "grey" has been unpleasant. It isn't economic to install home AC units for the three hot days a year we experience. And thus, it has been miserable.**

**In all, things have been pretty quiet over at my end, so let's head straight to the main event. Enjoy people."**

* * *

**Author:**

Hello! Nice to see you again. Glad you are enjoying the story!  
Most of this chapter will be dedicated to the battle – let me know if I did it justice. Battle scenes are hard to do without being repetitive.  
I actually have some notes, and about 20,000 words written of a book I started work on a while back. Ironically, this seems to have overtaken that project, but I will get back to it one day.

* * *

**A Forgotten Place:**

Nope, the Emperor knew about the experiments Marsade has been doing. Or rather, knows the end result. He doesn't particularly care about the details. Asamode on the other hand, sees the raw power it can provide, and Raeveal is highly interested in Shamanism. You can think of him as something of Mad Scientist, excited about the possibilities, but permanently frustrated by the fact that he has no powers of his own.

You'll see more of the Imperium in future chapters in the final book, have no fear.

The Emperor's reluctance to partake in the Ligers is actually a really good question you are right to be asking.  
Book V will likely be about the same length as this one.

* * *

**Chapter 29: Reckoning**

* * *

Calin gave a short gasp of pain, as Sundar did her best to control the bleeding. Around her, Rafiki did his best to keep back the swarming scavengers, from attacking the incapacitated young leopard cub, whilst Sundar did what she could. She had never attempted to heal injuries so severe before… She could feel Calin slipping away in front of her. The young leopard gave another choke.

"Calin? Calin!"

"…Still here Sundar…" Calin grunted, and Sundar felt herself sigh with relief. Beside her, Rafiki gave a contemptuous flick of his staff that caught a leaping wilddog in the throat and knocked it to the ground, before leaning over and picking up the dog by the scruff of his neck and flinging the unfortunate canine into a pair of its fellows with a loud painful yelp. Rafiki gave a growl, and swung his rod like a battle-staff, striking a second with a sickening crunch that Sundar was sure was bone breaking.

"Sundar! They have a second army! They're surrounding us!" Rafiki warned her. Sundar nodded.

"We keep fighting! Keep fighting until we can't! Not until Vitani gives the order to retreat! We've come too far to lose it now!" Sundar shouted over the madness.

* * *

Ben-Kai-Ra watched the fighting with disinterest. Raeveal could only look up occasionally. Eventually, Asamode gave a bored sigh.

"**What are you even doing?"** Asamode asked him. Asamode pointed to the gylths carved into the ground.

"**_Shamanism. The glyphs keep the power entrapped and… moving. As far as I understand it. Marsade directs the power into the gylths, and the gylths channel it into the desired form. Like pouring water into a valley. The valley diverts it how you wish."_**Asamode thought and considered the Gateways that opened intermittently throughout the Imperium, and nodded. That made sense.

"**_So what are _****you ****_doing?_****_You are no shaman. Even if you'd like to be."_**Asamode said. Raeveal's morbid fascination with the Ligers was proof of that. Raeveal grunted.

"**_Some of the more… potent… glyphs need to be_**** refreshed. ****_Or the circle breaks. Life. Blood. Death. It's the fuel_****_of Marsade's power."_** Raeveal said. Asamode grinned. Raeveal always did talk too much.

Asamode knew of course. He knew exactly was Raeveal was doing. The point in asking had been to see if _Raeveal _knew, or, more importantly, whether Raeveal trusted Asamode enough to tell him. Then again, trust might have nothing to do with it. Raeveal always did like the sound of his own voice too much, and was more than ready to boast of his own supposed power. Which is fairness, wasn't inconsiderable. Much as Leviath knew and understood the values of the Gateways, Raeveal had correctly guessed the implications of Marsade's power… And made it his business to understand their shamanic ally.

"**_So…"_** Asamode probed. **_"How does this… thing…"_**He pointed to the rough line of strange symbols carved into the ground **_"Help in organising the death of the Pridelanders?"_** Raeveal grinned.

"**_Do you know how certain serpents capture their prey?" _**He asked him. **_"They move slowly. Gently. They sway in the breeze, like leaves. They twist and turn. They stare into their prey with their eyes. Intently. Focused. Sometimes they sing… or hum… and all the while, their coils twist, and coil and tighten around their prey. Closer, and closer, circle upon circle of muscle, of serpent. Squeezing their grip. Sometimes that is enough to break the trance. The coldness. The creeping numbness. But by then it's too late._****_The coils are in place. The snake has twisted around. And now the prey can't get out."_** He said softly. Asamode frowned.

"**_I ask again… How does this help in organising the death of the Pridelanders?"_** He asked. Raeveal rolled his eyes.

"**_They are dead already. This just makes sure they can't escape, once they realise it." _**Then, at Asamode's expression of anger, nodded towards the warring wilddogs and the rebels.

"**_Snake."_**

He nodded back to the circle.

"**_Coils."_**

* * *

High above them, Yessen propelled himself into the air. Marsade, sighting his former brother gave a cruel grin, and jerked his working hand into a fist. Yessen gripped both of his weapons tightly, one in each hand, but Marsade did no such thing, preferring to hold his weapons with sheer force of will, and the effort of his mind, leaving his single limb free. The orangutan gave a shout, and flames curled around them. They came alive, like serpents, lizards, scorpion, and chimeras of half a dozen different animals, and propelled themselves towards Yessen, who registered the infernal beasts with nothing more than a raising of eyebrow. When Yessen had launched himself into the air on the back of a great boulder, the force had fractured the ground, and great chunks of stone whirled around him like insects caught in a storm, spinning. At his command they twisted, and rushed towards him, forming a shell, a carapace of interlocking layers of stone between him and Marsade. The cthonic entities collided with the rock shield and blistering heat exploded all around them. The heat was so intense, that the stone began to glow with red, then white heat.  
Marsade have a scream of anger, and with a second twisting motion of his claw like hand, the final creatures self-destructed into explosives of intense force, blowing Yessen's shield to tiny pieces.

When the smoke cleared however, Yessen remained where he stood, unharmed, perched on a much smaller boulder. The falling cinders of his meagre defence caught themselves, and flew towards Marsade, still glowing crimson in the heat.

Marsade cursed, suddenly on the defensive. His attack had merely turned Yessen's stone projectiles into a devastating hellfire of white hot gravel that twisted and writhed like something alive, and thrust towards him, hundreds of pieces of rock and rubble.

Marsade shot backwards trying to dodge the hail of burning stone. And now Yessen was doing something else. He swung both rods in his possession together, and a blast of pure force struck Marsade in the side. The orangutan hurtled towards the ground, and hit the earth with a loud bang, throwing dust into the air. The orangutan gave a low growl that might have been a groan of pain, and climbed to his feet. The ape had reinforced his own body moments before striking the ground, and the impact had winded him. Nothing more.

"Come on Yessen. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I killed our sisters. You didn't think you'd fare any better, did you?" Marsade flicked his hand, and the stone, black edged shape of his knife appeared in it, held tightly between his fingers. The one that Kufa had gifted him. Yessen suppressed a gasp as Marsade flipped the blade around and cut into his own stump.

Blood spilled instantly, with a peculiar luminescent quality to it. It shimmered and shined along the edge of his blade. Marsade lifted the cursed blade to his lips, and grinned, muttering in hellspeak, and blowing on the edge of the blade. The blood flew from it, high into the air, glowing and shining, and with an almighty bang, like the sound of a thunderclap or groundquake, spilled out. Suddenly the blood was everywhere, growing, multiplying and spilling into the world like ink in water. With a flash, the deluge of blood became flame, and it flung itself towards Yessen. The blast caught Yessen in the front, and knocked him from his perch. Yessen fell to the ground and Marsade leapt towards him, landing astride the Baboon, and pinning the baboon's arms to the ground with his feet. Yessen, jerked, and tried to kick up with his legs, but Marsade had drawn his bladed weapon again, and stabbed downwards at Yessen's exposed neck. Yessen pulled back, feeling the ground beneath him ripple. And suddenly the dirt surged upwards, like a geyser. The pillar of dirt and mud surged into Marsade like a pressure cannon. His dagger went spinning away, and Marsade was knocked back. Yessen raised a fist and punched the air. An identical telekinetic blow ripped into Marsade, who stumbled away, spitting blood. Yessen's staff flew into his hand, and suddenly he was atop Marsade, forcing the length of his staff down across Marsade's throat, crushing, tightening, and forcing the air out of Marsade's lungs. In terms of magic, Marsade was easily as good as Yessen. Better if he'd been augmenting his power with blood magic. But physically? Marsade was a cripple. One arm missing, the other badly healed from a dozen breaks. His body was practically being held together with magic at this stage. Yessen used his powers to stay mobile, to defend himself, and to deflect Marsade's own magic. But it was all with the aim to get close. Then? Then he intended to squeeze the life out of Marsade with his bare hands. Marsade let out a strangled choke. He tried to summon flame in his hands, but Yessen stamped on his hand even as the embers began to form, snuffing out the flame, and probably fracturing his single remaining wrist as well.

"_Was it worth it?!" _Yessen hissed. Anger pulsed through him. "_Everything you've done? Everyone you've killed! YOUR OWN SISTERS!"_ Marsade let out a strangled cough.

"I'd do it all again!" He hissed. Marsade gave a shout. He released Marasde's throat, and seized him by the neck. An obelisk of stone shot out of the ground at the command of his will, and Yessen slammed his brother against it with enough force to send cracks and crags splintering into its brand shiny new surface. He stopped trying to choke Marsade. Instead, he held him in place with one hand and punched him with the other. In the face, in the jaw, in the stomach and the gut and the throat. Again and again. He felt his own knuckles break, and carelessly healed them with a flicker of his will. He felt the anger surge through him. The hatred. The bitterness.

"Come on Yessen don't stop now!" The mad shaman laughed. "Do it! Hurt me! Make me _bleed. Make me pay for what I've done! _Come on!" The words barley registered to Yessen. The baboon was staring, unflinchingly at his brother as he beat the life out of him.

"You deserve to die for all you've done!"

"Then why don't you kill me?" Marsade taunted him.

"I will!"

"Then come _on_ Yessen! Fall! Fall as I did!" Marsade choked out the taunt.

"Why does it matter to you?" Yessen asked him, feeling blood drip from his hands. "Whether I try to save you, or try to kill you? Why do you care if I hate you? Why taunt and scheme?" The baboon said.

"I guess I just want to know what it would take. What it would take to make _you, _the most self-righteous, the most arrogant, the most restrained, the wisest of us all… fall into the dirt. What would it take, Yessen, to make you live as the mortals do? What is the one thing, the one precious thing that you care enough about, that losing it would break you? What do you _love _enough to _hate _the world over?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want to take it from you before I kill you!" The orangutan managed, his stalling paying off as he managed to free his arm and direct a stream of flames towards Yessen. The baboon flinched away from the prickling heat for the briefest of moments and Marsade was free. He stabbed at Yessen, the tip of his dagger skimming along the edge of his enemy's hip. It drew blood, the faintest of scratches, but the pain, the pain was as if burning oil had been poured into the wound, as if acid eat away at his soul. It was all consuming, and Yessen let out a howl of agony and pulled away, his hand leaping to his side,_" _Marsade crawled to his feet, and gave a bitter laugh.

"You are pathetic. The Five are finished. The Shaman are dead. _I_ am the only power left in this world, and _I _will not bend to the will of the Great Spirit, nor to the Circle of Life or the light of the Spirit World! This world will _burn._" He hissed, and raised his dagger high in the air, fresh blood spraying. The bloodmagic solidified into a dark seething mass of smoke, spilling out around them. Dark tentacles of mist struck at Yessen, tightening around his limbs, his outstretched arm, his body, lifting him high into the air, and slamming him to the ground. Yessen gave a grunt and then a cry of pain, then nothing.

Yessen was thrown to the ground. Yessen felt his awareness dimming. _No. _He sent out his power, feeling the ground beneath his feet, feeling the rock, the stone, the earth. Feeling the turn of the planet beneath his feet. The twist as this one rock hurtled through space, thousands upon thousands of lifeforms clinging to its surface as it span through the void. The earth. The world. It was _his. _His world. He'd sworn to protect it. Sworn to maintain the balance. Sworn to defend it from chaos, from darkness, from evil. He'd made that vow when he'd taken up the Staff he now bore. Marsade had taken that same oath – and betrayed it. How dare he? How dare he?!

Yessen climbed to his feet and made a stabbing motion with his staff. Shrapnel from the ground speared towards Marsade like half a dozen fragmented daggers. The shaman blasted them apart with a jab of his fist, and the battle began anew.

* * *

Vitani looked around in fear as the sounds and sights and scents of battle continued to build as the second wilddog pack crashed into the Pridelanders. She'd been so _foolish. _She'd vastly underestimated the Imperium. Of _course _the Shai'tan would predict that she'd eventually return here.

She'd lead the rebellion to its slaughter.  
Danyal had been right.

"Vitani!" Damu's voice broke her out of her fear. "We're surrounded!" She shouted.

"Get them onto Pride Rock! Into the dens! Their numbers will mean nothing into close quarters! They were trapped now anyway. No need to give them a further advantage. Damu gave a nod and shouted to some of the others.

The Panther triplets weaved in an out of the wilddogs, low to the ground, their claws lashing out with precision and deadly accuracy. Near to Almasi, Koron and Inti fought with the third of the wolves. She hadn't seen them defeat the wilddog commander, who had been thrown clear from the fight when Marsade's Shamanism had spilled into the battle, spreading death and chaos as it did so.

She limped away, blood leaking from her forearm, pain spiking through her.

She'd failed. She'd tried to fight Mortread one on one and had failed.

Helio rushed to Vitani's side.

"Vitani! Calin's been injured, Sundar's trying to help him, but he's badly hurt! And Yessen is fighting Marsade!" Helio warned her. Vitani's eyes were drawn to where she saw Rafiki and Sundar crouched over the young cub. Just a child. Vitani gave a growl.

"Get the asiatics up the rocks, get onto Pride Rock!" She told him, and leapt over the battle to where Sundar and Rafiki stood.

"We have to move – we're being torn apart!" Vitani told them, leaning down to carry Calin, who gave a whimper of pain as She moved him. Moving as quickly as she could, and with as little pain to Calin, she leapt back and moved into the dens, where the more heavily injured were. It made little sense to keep the injured animals where the fighting was heaviest.

* * *

A short distance away, Koron bit the throat out of a much larger panther, and darted away again, trying to stay moving.

He was small. Smaller and weaker than the panthers. He had to keep moving. Had to keep twisting. His muscles screamed in protest as he pushed them beyond their limits but he ignored them. He had no choice.

He _had _to keep going.

The animals missed when they dived at him, and Koron moved again, clawing and biting.

It was infuriating.

He had to keep moving. He only had to slip once, he only had to miss once. It would only take one mistake on his part.

He made a mistake.

A claws paw crashed into his side, and Koron was lifted from his feet, and hurled against a rock. He landed painfully and with a cry.

"Koron!" She heard someone cry. His vision was blurred, his head swimming. "Koron!" That voice again.

A paw landed next to his head, and he groaned, trying to pull himself to his feet. He felt a shape move under his paw, hauling him into a standing position.

"I have you! Come on Koron!" He heard again.

"Sara…" He slurred the word. Damn. He must have hit his head harder than he fought. "Koron, come on, we need to move! We're retreating into Pride Rock." Sara warned him. There was a hint of desperation to her voice.

* * *

Yessen span, jabbing with his Staff towards Marsade who flipped away. Smoke coiled in the palm o fhis hand, engulfing the ape, and the surrounding area. It stung his eyes, and forced Yessen to blink, clutching a hand to his mouth. He wondered if Marsade sought to choke him, but no sooner had he the thought, than the smoke began to clear. A distraction?

He coughed again, and his eyes widened at the sight that he now beheld. Where Marsade had once stood, no less than seven Marsade's grinned down at him. Yessen's eyes narrowed. _Impossible. _With a single laugh, the seven Marsades flew at him, and Yessen ducked, feeling the surge of heat over his head as flame burnt its way towards him. One skimmed too close above his head, and Marsade struck out with his staff. Marsade fell to the ground with a crash, and upon impact, blew apart into dust, leaving nothing behind.

Yessen stared at the remains of the crude copy.

Careless.

"You know, I was wondering…. When _won't _you and Raffiki fall for such… cheap tricks?" Marsade asked another version of himself conversationally.

"Illusion." Yessen stated, flatly. One was real. The others, cheap copies. Just light and dust. And the strain was clearly an effort on Marsade to maintain the spell, for had his attention not been clearly focused else were, he would never have been felled by a mere blow to the back after a careless flight. The effort of the Magic he used distracted him. It seemed an ineffective method of attack, to say the - the six remaining Marsade's lifted their rods, and fired as one, streams of flame leaping towards him. Yessen dived away. The heat was less intense than before. Nor was it as blinding. But it would have been enough to kill him in a second, if he took a direct hit. Marsade's power was split between the six copies – not magnified six times – but it could also come from six different directions. Bloodmagic. Carving. Cutting. Mutilating power for an advantage. It was perverse. Yessen span, lifting half a dozen boulders from the ground with a grunt of effort.

"You haven't changed…" Yessen said calmly, trying to keep his eyes on all six Marsades at once.

"I have changed in more ways than you even know." Marsade spat, and with a scream of rage, a great swell of darkness burst towards Yessen, who levitated himself above the assault with the flick of his own power. Then, with a ripple, reality parted, and Yessen drew Marsade's thornwood staff from the aether. The blackened staff felt heavy in his left hand, but, even so, he directed his power through it, and felt an unfamilar surge of shamanic power pulse around him. The ground began to blister and crack in the heat. He felt the warmth of the air, he grimaced then held the two staffs ahead of him, crossed over his body. The tidal surge of dark mist crashed around him, forced away by the combined powers of his own staff and the Rod of Flames he now held.

Marsade hissed as he saw his old weapon held in his enemy's paws. Lost in his fight with Rafiki under Shein's Spear.

Now both shaman possessed two Staffs.

Yessen hurled the Earth at Marsade. Boulders, pebbles, the dust in the air, flew towards the orangutan, who darted backwards, to avoid blow. Then his eyes widened as Yessen gave a shout. Another surge of power ripped through Yessen with so much force that he felt as though it would burn him apart from the inside. Then the boulders liquefied. Magma sprayed towards Marsade, splashing freely around as animals – imperials and rebels - scrambled to avoid the searing heat as it fell around them. It crashed around Marsade. The Orangutan mentally forced away with molten rock, but Yessen kept throwing wave upon wave of the substance at his fallen brethren. Yessen let out a breath, and with a final push of his power, the magma solidified into rock. For a moment, he stood there, and lowered his arms. Obsidian scattered the area, the last of the lava cooling instantly, sealing around the ground. Yessen let out a sigh.

Then the ground exploded.

* * *

Sara and Koron pushed their way to the back of the creatures, and Sara deposited the injured Koron next to Calin. Rafiki rushed to check over Koron as Sara turned to Vitani.

"Vitani! What are we going to do?" But Vitani didn't seem to hear her. She looked back to where they saw the attacking Imperium. Wilddogs, jackals, panthers, wolves. Harrin and Mortread among them.

"Dear Kings…" She whispered. Kovu… Simba… Nala… Kiara. All their deaths for nothing? "Is this punishment? Are my failures so great that all the Pridelands should suffer with me?" She gasped. She turned to Rafiki.

"Retreat." She hissed.

"What?!" Rafiki gasped.

"You heard me! The battle is lost, and I won't waste lives! We retreat. Hell, we _run!_ Open a Gateway!"

Rafiki looked to Sundar. She was exhausted. He doubted they could manage to open one alone. Even so, Rafiki summoned his power, and attempted to form a Gateway.

A Spike of Ice hit his mind.

He let out a shout, and almost dropped his staff.

He tried again, cautiously, and felt it again. The numbing, hard touch against his mind. The more he pushed it, the more it pushed back.

"Rafiki can't create a Gateway…" He muttered to Vitani, whose eyes widened in shock. "He is blocking it. Marsade has trapped us here." Rafiki said. Vitani looked stunned.

"I… I have killed us all…" She said, in an emotionless tone.

She felt as though the world was opening up beneath her.

She felt cold. It wasn't just the dread of impending death and destruction that sent shivers down her spine.

She looked up and saw that clouds, grey and miserable were encompassing the last of the sunlight. The air around them was grey. The two distinct packs of wilddogs had surrounded the rebels now, who were trapped within Pride Rock and she had lead them there.

"Vitani!"

Was that Lukaan? The white lion's fur was tinged red with blood, and she could see he was limping. One of his forearms had been hurt.

"Vitani!" He said again.

"What?" She finally asked.

"The clouds!" He shouted to her. She looked up, and he was right. The clouds were still multiplying. Filling the sky with grey. And darkening.

"What the…" She could only watch in confusion as the skies darkened into storm clouds. But it wouldn't be the rainy season for weeks at the very earliest. Then she saw them. A third pack of wilddogs, on the horizon. She felt something inside her die. They faced bitter odds against the two of them. What could they possibly do with a third pack joining the battle? Raeveal, Asamode, she didn't care who. The last of the Shai'tan had joined the battle, and now set about bringing about their Pride's extinction.

"_Pridelanders_!" She heard her own voice shout out. _"We can go no further! This is our hour! Pride Rock Stands! Let this be the moment, when all of Africa hears of us, and how long we stood! Let them hear how we defied the Shai'tan, let them hear how we won back our home! Or else let them hear how we died! Let them hear the Roar of Every _Pridelander_! For justice! For revenge! For wrath! For ruin! For the Pridelands!"_

She braced herself.

She looked around, at those fighters there still with her.

Almasi, and Damu – ever loyal, ever present. They'd been there since the start. Her Pridesisters. Pridelander and Outlander. The two upon which she could always rely on. Lukaan and Helio. The former King however briefly, and the nobody from the east. Sara and Inti. Koron and Calin. Ras, Rei, Sash, Karina, Darina, the Asiatics, the rebels, the defected leopards. Children and Adults. Shaman and Mortals. Scions of heroes, villains, kings, and no-ones. The Blood of the Pridelands ran in all of them now, even those whom had joined them late, were born in far of lands. Some had been there since the beginning. Others had joined them later.

If this was where she fought her last battle, she could think of none she would rather die beside.

She felt herself tense, and let loose a roar, a roar of defiance. Against the Imperium. Against the Shai'tan. Against Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra!

"_For the Pridelands!"_ She shouted once more, and heard all those behind her return the cry.

"For the Pridelands!"

"The Pridelands!"

And then the creatures crashed into the sides of wilddogs surrounding Pride Rock.

"Kings protect us all."

With a roar, she leapt down into the fight, leading a charge against the creature's who'd dare defile the Throne of her people with their filthy blood!

* * *

Yessen was hurled away by the blast of Marsde's explosion. Marsade's scream of rage, of primal hatred echoed around them. Yessen leapt to his feet, and aimed both his staffs at Marsade. The orangutan was bleeding, bruised, and clearly injured. His fur was singed, and burnt. He hovered a mere head's height from the ground, blood dripping to the ground. Without so much as glance, he reached out with his hand and seized the nearest creature – a jackal fighting for the Imperium. Without a word, he drove his dagger into the creature's spine, his body arching as he bathed in the blood and the power that coursed through him with the action, and Yessen saw the most severe of the injuries twitch and close as the wilddog died. Marsade shivered in ecstasy, his eyes settling on Yessen.

"You dare… you attack me with my _own _staff?!" Marsade hissed. "You _think, _that _I _shall fall to _fire and flame!?" _He hissed.

"You have lost all right to this Staff! You betrayed your oath! You betrayed your brothers and sisters! _You betrayed the Creator, and the Light_! What right do you have to claim this staff as your own?" Yessen asked him. Marsade glared at him, and allowed his lips to curl into a cruel smile.

"I am the Master of that Staff. It will not serve any other unless I allow it. I spent _centuries _binding its power to mine, a lifetime with it as the very extension of my soul! And _you _kept it with you this whole time. I knew _exactly _where it was – and where you were. It serves me and me alone, just as your staff soon will!"

"You have no right!"

"Are you not listening to me? That weapon is a part of me. But I thank you for the curtesy of returning it to me. Goodbye my brother."

And Marsade hurled his mind at Yessen.

It was unexpected. For the duration of the battle, they had resorted to the most overt use of their shamanism. Fantastical displays of power, and arcane might. The attack on his mind by his brother was so unexpected that the walls of Yessen's mind almost crumbled in an instant. They stabbed, probed, and struck at Yessen's mental state. The same barbs that had picked apart Danyal's memories and dream assaulted Yessen, and the baboon grunted, sinking to one knee with the effort. The pain was extraordinary.

"My… _mind… _is my own… Get out. _Get out!" _Yessen shouted in anguish. Marsade too howled with pain, though the orangutan had long since learned to feed from anguish and misery – even his own.

"Tell me, Yessen! Tell me as you die! _What was it that would have made you fall? _What was your precious _prize?!"_

And Yessen couldn't help the thought that leapt from his head. He couldn't help acknowledging that last piece.

Marsade's eyes widened as the image hit him.

The Shaman. Young. Idealistic.

Halien. Margane. Rafiki. Yessen. And him. Marsade. The Five. Their Rods were missing from the mental image that struck at him. So was every trace of their power, their shamanism. The things that separated them from the other peoples of the earth. The mortals.

"_You." _Yessen gasped in pain. "Always You." He grunted. "I'd have died for any of you. I'd have cracked the earth in two." He grunted.

The pain vanished as Marsade's mind withdrew. Yessen stumbled, and Marsade remained standing, exhausted. Fatigued. Yessen dropped to his knees. Both staffs falling to the ground. Marsade's Rod returned to his single hand. The orangutan was staring at him. His expression was unreadable. He held his blackwood staff in his hand. In tingled. Marsade stared down at his brother.

"You'd have brought ruination upon the earth for me. For Rafiki. For any of us." He whispered in shock, as if understanding for the first time. Yessen nodded letting out a tired sigh.

"In a moment." He admitted. "I'd have been no different to you. Or to Rafiki."

Marsade stared at the baboon.

"Then why didn't you, when you had the chance?" He asked him.

He didn't wait for an answer.

He lifted his blackwood staff in his hand, and drove it down, through Yessen's Chest.

Baboon let out a rattled breath, and single chocked cough as the staff punched through skin, bone, muscle and organ.

Marsade jerked it out again, with a smooth motion, and Yessen fell to the ground.

He hesitated only to pick up Yessen's staff. He held it briefly, feeling the rough edge of the knotted wood in hand. Then, with a ripple, he banished it into the aether.

He felt new power surge through him.

Four.

Four of the Rods of the Shaman.

He had never felt anything like this before. Rafiki would have felt the loss, just as he had when Halien and Margane had died. He couldn't stand here. He couldn't stay. Not like this. Rafiki would crush him.  
With a grunt, the fabric of space rippled.

It wasn't a gateway. It wasn't a tear, or a rip or a tunnel. He felt light surge in him. And space distorted. And the Fallen Shaman vanished from sight.

Yessen gave a last, feeble grunt of loss.

Then darkness.

* * *

Vitani continued to charge, leaping down from the rocks, and into the flanks of wilddogs, claws slashing out like knifes.

"The Pridelands!"  
She shouted again, as she noted the third pack of creature's crash into the sides of Pride Rock, like waves upon rocks. So this was it. With odds of three-to-one. She didn't let the feeling of hopelessness crush her. She roared and screamed in defiance.

The clouds above broke.

There was an earthshattering *bang*.

The sky opened above them.

Lightning fell from the heavens.

Light flashed and seared and burnt. Lightning coursed through the wilddogs, sending entire beasts flying. Dirt was thrown into the air. Jubilant laughter filled the air.

"_Vitani! What's happening!?"_

The Third Pack crashed into the wilddogs. Wilddog into wilddog. Hysterical cries hit her ears.

No.  
Not wilddog into wilddog.

Hyena.

Hyenas into wilddog.  
The Hyenas had come to Pride Rock. And they had brought the Shadowlands with them.

Lightning continued to fall around them, striking wilddog, panther, jackal and wolf, but missing lion, leopard, and jaguar, as if guided by some divine providence.

What?

How… was this even possible?

_She couldn't conceive of it._ Another sound hit her ears. Intermitted between the babbling laughter, the cries of shock and pain and confusion.

"_For the Pridelands!"_

And it came from all sides. Behind her, among the rebels, and ahead of her. Among the attacking creatures.

What?

As if in a stupor, Vitani could only look in disbelief at the pack of dozens of hyenas, of every colouring and pattern attacked the rear of the wilddogs. For several moments, the unfortunate creatures had no clue as to what was happening, so great was their confusion and their shock. And Vitani could hardly blame them for their incredulity.

_What_?

She heard a voice carry over the battlefield.

"Pride Rock stands alone no longer! For the Pridelands! _For the one true King_!"

Standing amongst the attacking hyenas, one stood out to her. Young, female, and clearly in command. And eyes aglow with a pale ethereal mist that radiated from her. High above them, the clouds answered her call, and the last flashes of lightning landed around them.

And at her side, stark golden against the black and grey of the hyenas and the blood sodden ground, stood a familiar figure.

She felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart stop in her chest.

"_Kiava_."  
Suddenly the figure was gone, disappeared into the seething masses. Around her, she could feel the confusion in the rebels. Now wasn't the time for questions, or dreams or hopes. Now was the time to press their advantage. She saw a second figure within the mess. A figure of ashen black and flaming orange. Mortread, Shai'tan, Lord of the Imperium. She felt the wounds inflicted upon her tingle in anticipation. It was foolish.

So she added her own voice to the cry.

"_For the one true King_!"

And charged towards the Shai'tan. This time. This time it would be different.

* * *

Harrin starred around him in anger.

"Commander! We're surrounded!" He heard a wilddog shout towards him. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? One moment the Pridelanders had been surrounded, pushed into Pride Rock, about to face extinction. The next moment, a second army of hyenas had appeared out of the north, and charged into their rearguard. Lightning had fallen from the sky, sending death into their ranks, and the panic and confusion had allowed the hyena's initial charge to inflict devastating casualties. Now the Pridelanders seemed to be experiencing a second wing.

He knew the feeling.  
It was an uncomfortable lump in the pit of the stomach. The feeling of loss when you take a step and trip. The moment of unbalance. The feeling of emptiness as the entire world shifts. The srop in your stomach as you _fall._

They were on a knives edge.

"Mortread! We can't stay here!" He shouted over the battle. The Tiger Lord gave a grunt.

"**_You think I don't know?!"_** He spat in anger. **_"Stand and fight! Warriors of the Imperium!"_** But he too was feeling the pinch of uncertainty. The wilddogs were being decimated. His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden roar, and the feling of claws raking into his flesh. Caught off guard, he rolled to the ground, throwing his attacker free.

"**_Vitani_**!" He spat the words. To his right Harrin crouched, but Mortread waved him off. He'd merely get in the way.

"What's the matter Mortread? Things suddenly not looking so good?" She asked him. The hyenas clawed into more lines of Wilddogs. He heard a shout behind him as half a dozen other wilddogs fell. Then with a jolt, he realised she was right. He was surrounded. He leapt into the air, but Vitani intercepted him. The two rolled to the ground, Vitani on top, slashing down with her claws.

"I am not running any longer! You are going to _pay _for everything you've done Mortread!" She hissed. Mortread glowered at her.

"**_You shall die like the rest of your family!"_** He spat and charged at her.

* * *

Asante felt as if her bones were on fire.

Never before had the hyena conjured such power, she hadn't known she'd even had those reserves of power within her. The lightning she'd called down had obliterated whole patches of land, turning grass into ash, sending wilddogs flying into the air, and spreading terror like nothing she had ever seen into their ranks. That alone had been more devastating than the flashing, burning light she'd turned upon them.

The cost had taken its toll on her. She sank to her knees with a grunt, and felt Bhagari at her side, his face full of concern.

"Bhagari…" She muttered, feeling her vision swim. "I just had a _really _goodidea_."_ She told him. Bhagari tried to pull her to her feet, but she wasn't moving.

"What's that?" He asked her, trying to keep her awake.

"That I never, _ever, _do this again." She said. And with that collapsed into unconsciousness.

Not far from Bhagari, Bruce and Ookai moved, a walking, lumbering tank of muscle, arms swinging. Bruce punched the jawbone of an attacking wilddog into smithereens, as Ookai sat on his shoulders, directing his friend, kicking off the few wilddogs that leapt to them, trying to latch onto the silver-backed gorilla's fur with their snapping, gnashing teeth.

"Ookai!" he heard Bhagari's frantic call, and Ookai moved Bruce over, hearing the panic in his voice. When He saw the fallen Asante, he leapt from Bruce's shoulders, and checked for signs of life.

"She's alright, she's still breathing. I think she's just overdone herself. She worn herself out instantly." Ookai said, leapt back onto Bruce back, who picked up the younger hyena under his arm. A larger adult hyena might have been difficult, but Bruce was just about able to lift Asante into the air, and lumber away, dragging Asante from the battlefield. Satisfied that she was safe, Bhagari tried to focus on the battle. It would not do, for his superior to awaken and learn he'd been killed in battle, after all.

* * *

Watching the battle from some distance away, Castella turned to Leviath. The spymistress of the Imperium was shaking in rage.

"_**What is happening!?"**_ She asked her in confusion. Leviath shook her head.

"_**It's the hyenas! The hyenas of Carroscirr have come to their aid!"**_ She could barely believe the words, even as they were forced from her lips. Castella looked aghast.

"**You said they were in the shadowlands! You said we'd crush them **_**after **_**the Pridelands! You said –"**

"**I know what I said!" **Leviath snapped. **"Our advantage is lost. Our fighters are surrounded, and we don't have any ready reinforcements. They've managed to equal our numbers, **_**and **_**we've lost the terrain advantage." **She paused. **"This is bad. We need to regroup. Order our forces to withdraw," **she said, letting loose a series of roars. Castella turned to Leviath.

"_**Mortread is still in there! At the heart of the fighting! If you pull away his fighters now, he'll be overwhelmed. Even my father couldn't fight two dozen hyenas **_**at the same time!" **She said quickly.

Leviath ignored her, and continued to give the orders. Castella growled.

"**I am Heir to the Empire, and you will obey me! Leviath! We can't pull back!"** She shouted. Leviath growled.

"_**In conflicts of command, **_**my **_**orders take priority. Your own father's orders. I have more experience, and I say we pull out!"**_

"_**No! We go to Mortread's aid!"**_

"_**We'll lose dozens of wilddogs!"**_

"_**You think I care about the lives of wilddogs? I don't care if we lose a hundred!" **_Castella spat, panic rising within her now.

"_**Don't let your personal feelings get in the way here! Unless you want to explain to your father why you sacrificed his armies."**_

"_**Perhaps. But would you rather explain to him why you sacrificed his daughter?" **_Castella asked. And without a word, she leapt from where she stood, and charged towards Mortread's position, hoping to clear a path before they were overwhelmed and killed.

"_**Princess, don't be a –"**_ A handful of wilddogs charged with her, letting lose warcries and shouts of defiance. A greater portion looked to Leviath, who made choking noises. If Castella-Ra were to be killed under Leviath's command, he wouldn't just kill her. He'd _destroy _her.

"_**Ash and BLOOD!" **_She cursed. "_**Everyone still standing! To the Princess! For the Imperium!"**_ She shouted, and charged with her.

* * *

Watching the conflict, Emperor Ben-Kai-Ra, Imperator, Lord of the Shai'tan, and master of the Imperium, gave an angered snarl.

"_**So the Hyenas have grown some teeth at last."**_He hissed. Raeveal looked astonished.

"_**Leviath didn't foresee this." **_He muttered.

"_**No. She did not." **_The Emperor agreed. Raeveal swallowed uncomfortably, then he squinted, and looked closer.

"_**Mortread. The fool has got himself surrounded. His forces are buckling under the pressure."**_ He realized. The Emperor glowered. Then heard Leviath's roars.

"_**That was the order to withdraw." **_Asamode looked stunned.

"**Withdraw!? But my Emperor we –"**

"**Are not Fools." **The Emperor finished for him. _**"A pyrrhic victory is not a victory. A victory which costs us out armies is not victory. Perhaps you disagree?" **_He asked him. Raeveal stuttered for a moment. Then shook his head.

"_**Go. Find your sister and organize the retreat. Then track down Marsade. We may require his healing talents before the day is out, if we don't want to lose half our surviving fighters to injuries and infections."**_He said. Raeveal bowed.

"_**As you command."**_He hesitated. _**"What if Mortread is unable to escape? What if Leviath…"**_He trailed off, hesitantly. The Emperor eyes him coldly.

"_**Then there will be consequences for the both of them. But this… eventuality… was unforeseen by even myself."**_He hissed in anger._**"The Hyenas of Carrocscirr will learn, first hand, the penalty for such defiance. I will teach them pain the likes of which they have never known. I will wipe their entire race from the plains of Africa, just as I will the lions! Give the command, to every warchief who serves the Impeirum. Any hyenas, **_**of any clan**_**, presently allied to the Imperium, on any of the continents, is to be executed for treason at once! Down to the last pup! Be as creative as you like in the manner of their deaths."**_ He seethed._**"And if Mortread or your sister require… assistance… in extracting themselves from the fray, then I shall take to the battlefield**_** personally**_**, with these ligers you have faithfully produced, and crush those who have dared defy me!" **_He shouted. Raeveal practically fled and didn't look back.

* * *

"Sara! What's happening?!" Koron asked Sara over the noise of the battle. The young cub was staring in shock.

"It's the Hyenas!"

"WHAT?!" Koron asked, aghast.

"It's the Hyenas! The Hyenas of Carroscirr! _And they're on our side!_"

She shouted to him. Inti's eyes were open wide in shock. "Just listen to them!"

She heard it then. On the lips of the charging hyenas.

"_For the one true King_! For the Pridelands!"

Others had heard it to. Not far away, Sara saw the adolescent Talib give a strangled gasp.

"_Striped. Spotted. Black. It's every clan in the Shadowlands!"_

"But... How could they know to come here?" Koron asked her in disbelief.

Sara already had her answer. It wasn't possible. It had to be a trick. A deceit. Some cruel joke by the Kings. But there is was. As real to her senses as anything she had ever seen. She had seen him. There. She saw him again. Standing between a pair of grizzled spotted hyenas. Familiar dark fur, and emerald green eyes. His face and forearm mutilated by the crossing lines of battle scars, claws awash in blood already. A tempest of violence, a roar on his lips. That was how they'd known to come here. How'd they'd come to their aid at the last desperate moment.

"_Danyal…"_

Sundar saw him at the same moment, and shouted the name.

"DANYAL!"  
It was impossible.

How could… How could Danyal have brought the full might of Carroscirr to bear against the Imperium.

Then she saw a second figure, directing the hyenas in their attack, in the center of the fighting.

Royal Gold, with darkened mane.

The Black Flame of Pride Rock.

Older than when she'd last seen him. The same emerald eyes. But now hard eyes.

"_**Kiava**_!"

* * *

The Emperor continued to seethe in anger for some time as he watched the battle turn against the Shai'tan. Then a movement caught his eye. A charge of wilddogs – barley a dozen strong, rushing towards the centre of the fighting. He saw, leading them, the unmistakable form of a tigress. But what would Leviath be doing with – he saw a second tigress rushing after her with the rest of the wilddogs under their command. No. It wasn't Leviath. Castella. He roared.

"_**No! What is she doing?" **_He asked. She was going to get herself killed.

"_**Oh, I imagine she's charging in to save Mortread." **_Asamode chuckled. _**"It's pathetically sad really. But I guess desperation does that to people." **_He said. The Emperor turned to Asamode.

Just as claws sank into his back. He roared, and tried to throw his attacker off. Asamode leapt back, and landed lightly, facing the Emperor.

"**Asamode! What are you **_**doing**_**?" **The Emperor growled. But he didn't really need to ask the question. There was a hungry look in Asamode's eyes. A greed that needed to be filled.

"_**Taking what is mine. That is the Rule of the Strong. I take what I want."**_ Asamode hissed. The Emperor growled.

"_**And what is it that you want, Asamode?"**_

"_**EVERYTHING!".**_

And he charged at the Emperor. He was undeterred by the Emperor's superior size, and strength. It was almost amusing. The Emperor batted away Asamode's claws, and slashed towards him, the tips of his razor sharp claws skimming the edge of his arm. Asamode's didn't express any pain. He merely glowered. Then, his face turned into a cruel smile.

"_**Oh, did dear princess just take a knock? I think she just did. Never mind. I am sure Mortread likes it. Perhaps it'll be a war-wound? Her first battle-scar?"**_Asamode asked, his disfigured face only serving to make his grin look more hideous. The Emperor paused, and Asamode used the moment's hesitation to slip past the Emperor's guard, and sink his claws deep into the Emperor's side. He shouted, and bit down at Asamode, who grunted in pain as the Emperor's jaws closed around his neck, but couldn't find purchase.

"_**You are a fool, Asamode! You? You think yourself worthy of being Emperor? You are a sick, perverted creature, with a diseased mind. A weapon. A tool. With enough uses to keep around. What kind of Emperor would you be?"**_

"_**A stronger one than you. You can't fight me and rescue your precious daughter."**_Asamode taunted. The Shai'tan growled._**"You are the one who taught us to kill to take what we want. Did you really think that no one would ever challenge your supremacy?" **_He spat the words, exchanging blow for blow.

"_**I Am Emperor!"**_

"_**You are delusional. And blind. You didn't see the Hyenas's coming. You didn't see **_**this **_**coming. You didn't see Mortread and Castella." **_He taunted.

"_**What are you talking about?" **_The Emperor asked, too impatient to pretend omniscience. Asamode grinned in delight.

"_**You cut yourself off from such emotions. And rendered yourself blind to it. You never noticed how Castella has always been there. Whispering in your ear. Manipulating you. Whenever Mortread comes up. He's her favorite you see. Her pet. And he? He laps it up. He's pathetic. Like a begging dog.**_

_**That is your Imperium, Emperor. A useless Spymistress who can't find **_**one **_**missing King. A dreaming warrior, with fantasies of powers he can never possess. And a pathetic, lovesick puppy, who sees Castella as his only real chance of advancement. Aren't you proud of it?" **_ He taunted him.

"Mortread… and my daughter?" The Emperor seethed.

"_**What do you suppose their cub would be? The new Heir to the Imperium? And what do you think Mortread will think of you then?" **_He grinned. "_**Do you suppose he dreams of replacing you? Do you think that Mortread dreams of oneday mating with **_**Empress Castella-Ra? Do you think Mortread will imagine your corpse as he mounts your daughter? Do you think he already has?"**

"**ENOUGH!" **The Emperor roared as Asamode laughed.

"_**NO! You are weak! You're blind! Your own followers mock you. You taught Mortread to take what he wants. Well he's taking what he wants from Castella, I assure -!"**_

His words were cut off as the Emperor, in a rage, charged towards him. Asamode grinned.

"**Finally." **He motioned to the Ligers who had remained motionless throughout the entire fight. The great lumbering brutes, immune to Shamanism, brutal, and powerful.** "Sick em."**

* * *

**AN:****  
Ta Da!**

**Only one chapter to go! Then the epilogue of course. I invite you to join us soon for Chapter 30 – Retribution.**

**If it wasn't clear, the circle of glyphs around Pride Rock, is what is preventing them from escaping. It also elaborated somewhat on what exactly Raeveal's position in the Imperium is.**

**If this chapter seems chaotic – good – its chaotic. We're seeing events unfold from the perspective of the Imperium and the Rebels, who were taken by surprise here.**

**A keen eye and sharp mind might be able to guess whats happened from the hyena's perspective, but don't worry, there will be an explanation later to clear up any confusion as to how the hyenas knew to come.**

**Asamode Vs Ben-Kai-Ra. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. It's happening. Asamode really picked a good moment. He was just waiting for the opertune moment – he didn't know the hyenas would become involved. Nor know precisely how or when Mortread being in danger would cause Castella to act so recklessly – though he suspected something like this would happen. And who is he to pass up such an opportunity?  
Lots of things to cover.**

**So please, drop me a review, and let me know how I did this time round!**


	31. Chapter 30 - Retribution

"**Hello everyone.**

**Welcome to the thirtieth and final chapter of Lion King Legacies – Book IV: Inferno.**

**A lot to cover here, but I think it's something that you'll all enjoy! Plenty for you to sink your teeth into.  
The Second Battle for Pride Rock.  
We'll flash around several characters here, all the favourites. . So without further ado, please enjoy. And remember, if you did, leave a review! I need to know all your thoughts when going into the final book."**

* * *

**A Forgotten Place:**

Yes. Yessen is dead. I obviously can't answer a lot of those questions, can I? And Asamode has been openly suspecting of Mortread and Castella's relationship from the very beginning. You'll get to see some of the fruits of that suspicion in the next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 30: Retribution**

* * *

Kiava looked down at the creatures fighting before him. Panthers, wilddogs, jackals, and wolves of the Shai'tan, fighting the rebels and the hyenas. Such a thing had never been known, for such a diverse multitude of different species to fight as one, to fight for a single united goal.

"Kiava!" he heard Bhagari's voice before he saw him. He turned to see the older hyena moving towards him, closely flanked by the apes.

"Bhagari! Is Asante alright?" He asked, seeing her being carried by Bruce. Bhagari nodded.

"She's fine. She just over did things. I've never seen her channel power like that before that much more energy tore through her like she was nothing. She exhausted herself." Bhagari said. Kiava nodded.

"Bruce, try to get Asante to den. The injured are trying to get some respite there, the fighting isn't as hard. Bhagari, take the rest of the Shadowpups. Drive these wilddogs and jackals from here."

"It will be my pleasure, your majesty." Bhagari said, giving a smile. As he turned, giving a bark that called to him the other Shadowpups who were waiting for his command. Kiava watched him go. He glanced around, looking for Zuri. He spotted the lioness at the edge of the fighting with a mixed pack of other hyenas. They were younger, less experienced than some of their fellows, but they made up for their experience with enthusiasm, attacking with an almost reckless disregard for their safety. Zuri moved between hyenas and wilddogs alike, slashing with grace and precision. Not for the first time, Kiava needed to shake himself. He couldn't be distracted, though he did look to Zuri with a mixture of apprehension and admiration. Zuri could take care of herself, he decided. She was more than capable. Besides, Banzai was fighting nearby with Haana.

"Kiava."  
He heard a second familiar voice.

He turned, and looked up at Danyal.

The elder lion looked… wearied, and Kiava forced himself not to stare at Danyal's scars. The fighting hadn't been as kind to Danyal, and there was much of the time spent since Kiava's departure from the rebels, that Kiava still needed to know. Danyal had remained tight-lipped on many of the subject matters.

"Danyal – I,"

Whatever he might have originally have said to Danyal, it was immediately obliterated from his memory, as a deep and powerful roar sounded. Danyal and Kiava both looked together, and knew without seeing the source of such a sound.

"_Shai'tan." _Danyal said. Kiava nodded.

"There. At the base of Pride Rock."

"I'll go."

Kiava didn't argue. "Take Shenzi, and the rest of her guard." He said, simply.

Danyal nodded. He was breathing heavily, panting, trying to recover between gaps in the fighting, but seemed uninjured. "At the base of Pride Rock. Vitani needs help." He turned to the hyenas. "Show me what the Shadowlands are capable of!" And gave a roar. He charged, with Shenzi and another half dozen of the Shadowlands toughest fighters.

Kiava watched him go, a hint of trepidation in his thoughts.

Something wasn't right.  
Something didn't quite make sense.

He looked out back over the battlefield, trying to take in the scene.

There. He saw it. Unmistakeably flame orange, against the greying ground of the Pridelands. His eyes narrowed.

"_Another Shai'tan." _His swallowed, his heart beating fast, as he saw the tigress thunder towards where he knew Vitani and Mortread to be fighting. Then he made a decision.

"For the One True King!" Danyal shouted the words to any who might hear. Nearby, he saw Sarafina rip a wilddog apart between her jaws and claws. The old lioness fought with power and aggression. She looked about them, at the blood streaked ground, and at the devastated ruins of Priderock. It looked like a carcass, picked clean by vultures. Hollow, and void of its former glory. It filled her with anger, with bitter resentment, and with righteous fury just to see it like this. Her home in ruins.

* * *

_**"Mortread!"** _Castella shouted over the carnage, fighting her way to where Mortread was grappling with Vitani. The former outlander princess had somehow managed to summon within her a second wind, reserves of energy and spirit she hadn't known she'd possessed. Now she clawed and bit at Mortread at every opportunity. Mortread, to his credit, and despite the rapidly deteriorating situation for the Shai'tan, was not going down easily. He was stronger than Vitani, and faster, despite being several years her younger. She clawed at his throat desperately, and Mortread pulled away. She leapt after him, over extending herself. Castella rushed into the newly created opening and slashed at Vitani with both claws. They scythed through Vitani's guard and lashed into her chest, sending her flying backwards. Mortread breathed a relived sigh, then leapt back to his feet upon seeing Castella.

"**_What the hell are you doing here!?" _**He spat at her, enraged. Castella ignored the sharp jab of indignation that followed.

"**_Saving your life!"_** She retorted, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Vitani, who was rising to her feet. A roar sounded to her right, and both Vitani and Castella turned to see Danyal standing before them, Castella recognising the young lion by his scarred face and blazing emerald eyes. When she'd last laid eyes on him, he'd been a wreck, a broken, bloodied misshapen lion, streaked in blood and sweat. Now he glared at her with undisguised disgust. Vitani looked up to Danyal.

"Danyal. You… came back!" She said, unable to hide her elation. Danyal looked at her, and felt a rush of emotions. Vitani hesitated when she saw it. He hadn't forgiven her. Not yet. But he'd returned anyway.

"I meant to run. I meant to leave and never come back. I fled north, hoping to cross the shadowlands. But no. I came back to save my homeland. To save my family. To protect the lioness I fell in love with, and to defend the land I have lost so much for. I came back, because my _king _asked me to." He told her. Vitani stared at him, and behind Danyal, stood Kiava. The young cub had matured visibly since she'd last seen him. His tuft had grown long – so long that in parts it hung down over his eye – and he fought with a ridged precision and skill she recognised as born from practice, training and perseverance. He'd grown as a fighter, as a leader, and as a king. "You thought I'd be a threat to his rule. You always did." He accused her. Vitani didn't try to hide her shame.

"I thought you'd abandoned us."

"Like you abandoned me?" Danyal asked her.

"I… didn't know." She admitted. "I was so wrong. I thought I knew the way to save us. I was willing to do whatever it took to protect my family. Why did you come back to us, if you didn't believe in me, or what we stood for?" She asked him. Danyal paused.

"I left because my own family betrayed me, Vitani. I came back because my own family asked for my help. Because my brother asked me to." He said, looking to Kiava. Vitani looked to her nephew with Pride, and with admiration. If they survived this, she'd make things right between them, she promised herself. She'd mend whatever bridges they'd burnt in the past. She'd make things right.

Danyal looked to the Shai'tan, and to Castella, who was standing next to Mortread. He'd seen how she'd charged towards the, heedless of the danger. "If there was a shred of feeling in your heart for him," He looked at Mortread "you'd surrender now, for both your sakes." He said. "The Imperium is routed. Don't waste your lives." He said, but there was an edge of coldness to his voice. And hint of ruthlessness. A hope, however faint, that she would refuse. Castella roared, as Mortread leant into a crouch. Vitani gasped as Kovu's eyes glinted within Danyal's skull.

"**_Surrender? To you, Danyal, Son-of-None? I am Castella-Ra! Heir to the Empire, and Jewel of the Imperium! I will not be intimidated by your rabble of hyenas, or by a boy_**_** with delusions of his own strength. I watched you scream and cry in agony. I let your rot in your own blood and filth! Did you think we'd be intimidated by you?" **_She spat, angry what remained of the wilddogs had retreated to their position. But she was surrounded now. Danyal could see that.

"No. I think you should be very, very careful. You think you're safe because you've seen me at my weakest? I survived you then. Are you prepared to fight me at my strongest? In the Pridelands? Surrounded by my allies, in my father's lands? You are _not_ safe, Castella. The threat to your life here is very, very real." Danyal said. Castella unsheathed her claws.

"You think that winning one battle makes you a victor?" Mortread taunted him, moving to Castella's side. Vitani leapt up to Danyal's, and the two lions and the two tigers faced one another.

"I think it makes me better than the one who lost one battle." Danyal said. Mortread hissed.

"**_I should be thanking you. You brought the King of the Pridelands out of hiding! You brought him right here, to the Throne of his fathers. I commend you. It will make killing him so much easier." _**Mortread said. Danyal growled.

"You will not hurt him. You won't hurt anyone, ever again." He let out a roar, and Almasi and Damu responded. A pair of hyenas gave a bark as well, and crouched. Mortread looked around him, at the challenging animals.

Then leapt at Danyal. The move was sudden and unexpected, and caught the young lion off guard. Mortread crashed into Danyal, prompting shouts of panic and shock from Almasi and Vitani, who made to go to it aid, but Castella leapt at them. Castella clawed at Almasi – the freshest of her opponents, and the only one to yet suffer an injury against a Shai'tan. The lioness ducked under her blow, and bit at Castella. Her teeth sank into Castella's side, and Castella felt a sudden spike of fear.  
She wasn't a fighter. She wasn't like Mortread, or her father. She wasn't a great warrior of the Imperium.

But she was Ben-Kai-Ra's daughter! She was _not _weak. She was _not _vulnerable. She was _not _someone who would be killed so easily. She gave a shout of rage, and clawed at Almasi, gripping into her with long claws and tearing her from her side. She pushed her to the ground, and gave a snarl, before snapping down at Almasi's neck. She struggled under Castella's weight, pinned to the ground, desperate to avoid the deadly blow that would follow. Vitani charged into Castella's side, knocking her from Almasi. The two rolled together, Vitani snapping at Castella. The tigress snarled in pain as her teeth closed around her. The savagery took her by surprise, but it didn't daunt her. She returned in kind, forcing Vitani to the ground in turn, and trying to bite out something vital.

Danyal and Mortread struggled nearby. The size difference was more pronounced than between Vitani and Castella, but Mortread already bled from half a dozen small wounds and injuries inflicted on him by Vitani. Danyal, on the other paw, was seemingly uninjured.

"**_If you were gone from here, you should have stayed gone!" _**Mortread said, between breaths. Danyal ducked under Mortread's pounce, and gave a cautious swipe, which Mortread backed away from, keeping himself out of reach.

"Perhaps. But I didn't." Danyal said, giving a small smile. Mortread roared, then gasped in pain, as a Hyena, using his moment of distraction to leap up behind him, and bite onto his back. Mortread reared in pain and bucked throwing the hyena clear. In landed a short distance away, between Danyal and Mortread. In a moment of time, Mortread has rushed forwards, closed the gap between them, and placed both paws on the hyena's chest, claws spearing its front, and holding it to the ground. Mortread bit down in one savage motion, and the hyena fell still. He spat out the accompanying mouthful of gore, and glared up at Danyal. But the young lion was no longer where he'd been standing. As Mortread had attacked the hyena, Danyal had darted to the size, and struck at Mortread from the side. Mortread, already injured and tired, fumbled his defence, and Danyal's claws raked into his side. He shouted, and returned the blow, with both claws. They slashed into Danyal, who gave a loud grunt, red lines of blood bursting into his face. He stumbled back, as Mortread launched himself at Danyal, trying to pin him to the ground again. One slip. One mistake, and it would end. That was all it took. It was a bold stratergy, and left him vulnerable to interference from one of Danyal's allies, but it was quick and brutal, and took full advantage of his superior bulk compared to Danyal. Danyal writhed, and kicked up, knocking the air from Mortread. His clawed foot stabbed into one of the larger injuries he'd taken from Vitani, and sent spasms of pain into Mortread's muscles, which howled in protest at such treatment. He couldn't repress a shout, and Danyal seized the moment of distraction to kick himself free of Mortread, and knock Mortread to the ground.

He glanced to where Castella was struggling with the lionesses, and gave a loud growl, when he heard a loud echoing roar from behind him.

He turned, and saw the unmistakable form of Lukaan standing there. The white lion had fought his way through what was left of the wilddogs, towards the Shai'tan. Lukaan was bleeding, and he could see a prominent cut over his eye, Mortread roared in frustration.

"**Is this your plan? Overwhelm us with numbers?"**He snarled indignantly. Lukaan didn't dignify the hypocritical indignation with a response. He merely roared again, and rushed towards Mortread, giving Danyal time to recover.

"**_Mortread_**!"

He heard Castella shout. Mortread crouched, and pounced over Lukaan's head. Lukaan landed harmlessly in the space Mortread had occupied moments before, and Mortread landed nimbly next to Castella. He brandished his claws, but Vitani and Almasi where already backing away, cautious of facing both tigers at once.

"Mortread!" He heard Harrin shout. "We can't stay here!" But there was nowhere to retreat too.

Then, another shape appeared behind them, joining them in the conflict. Leviath gave a snarl, and leapt the final distance, landing on Castella's other flank. She glared at Castella is frustration, but only for a moment, before focusing her full attention on the oncoming lions, who stopped short. Besides Leviath, stood one of her wolves. Was it _Nighteye? _Or _Ironclaw_? He couldn't remember its name. Even so, the wolf looked worse for wear, and took up placement behind Harrin.

"**_Mortread. We must withdraw!"_** Leviath snarled angrily. Mortread gave her a hateful look.

"**_You think?_**" He all but spat. "**_How about you enlighten me, fearless, as to how you think you are going to manage THAT?!" _**He almost shout, losing his temper. And Harrin was reminded then, that no matter how different to Asamode Mortread could sometime seem, they were both Shai'tan.

"Surrender." Vitani said shortly. Leviath glared at her. "You _think_ that three Shai'tan would ever surrender to you?" She snarled. Vitani said nothing.

"No. You will surrender to _Me."_ A voice said.

The words carried the distance, and carried with them a heavy weight, all, rebels and imperials looked to its source. Standing atop one of the fallen rocks of Pride Rock, his outline framed against the dark blue sky, visible to all, stood Kiava. His claws were wet with blood, and single shallow cut ran down the side of his face from where a claw had swiped at him. His mane was slick with sweat, but his eyes were narrow. Mortread growled in anger. So this was where this rabble of hyenas had come from.

"_**You."**_

He didn't need to be told who he was. He knew it just by looking at him.

"_**The Lost King of the Pridelands?" **_Mortread would have smirked, were it not for a sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach. _**"Who fights alongside filthy Hyenas?"**_

"Lions. Leopards, Cheetahs, Hyenas. Pridelanders, Outlanders, Shadowlanders. I will fight alongside any who is a friend of the Pridelands!"

"_**What are the Outlands but a wildneress of wildlings and loyal-less thugs? What are the Shadowlands but the refuge of vermin and scavenging filth? What are the Pridelands, but the broken dream, of a bygone age? What are you king of, Kiava? **_**Nothing**_**!" **_ Leviath taunted. Kiava wasn't intimidated.

"I offer you one last chance. Surrender to me. My name is Kiava, son of Kovu, heir to the Pridelands, Lion King and Flame of Pride Rock! _High-King of the Kingdoms of Africa_!" He shouted, and gave a roar. It was higher than any that Danyal, or Helio or Lukaan could have produced. It didn't last as long. And it certainly didn't rumble with the cries of the great kings. But it was unmistakably a roar. Mortread growled in response, as the few wilddogs around him looked to him for direction.

"_**I… will not **_**bow **_**to a Lion King! No Shai'tan will ever be tamed, no Shai'tan will ever submit! I will crush you in my paws myself, High-King!"**_ Mortread seethed.

"Amun said something similar…" Kiava noted.

Castella glanced at him, concern on his face. This was unlike him. Mortread never became so angry in a fight. She noticed it. A faint twitch to his eyes, the subtlest of edge of steel to his words.

"_**Harrin! Wilddogs! Soldiers of Imperium! Defend your Princess! Make them bleed!" **_Mortread bellowed.

And the remaining imperial fighters rallied to them, surrounding Castella. Mortread took a step forward. And then Castella knew. That was what Mortread feared. He feared for her.  
Well.  
That was sweet in its own way.

It added to her own fears. The situation looked bleak, and she felt a sudden stab in her heart that Mortread would die before she fell.

And like Mortread, the fear sent a powerful, overwhelming surge of anger through her. Her blood pumped, her vision narrowed, hear heart hammered, she felt the _thrill _of the hunt, the rush of life, the murderous, overriding all-encompassing hatred. They wanted her dead. They wanted Mortread dead. And she wanted them to die.  
Shai'tan always, _always _got what they wanted.  
That was the rule of the Strong.

Fear, wasn't a useless emotion.  
And it wasn't a weakness.  
Cowardice was a weakness – and she was no coward. She leant into a crouch.  
She was a Tigress. On either side was a Shai'tan.

They were the most perfect warriors ever born.  
And they were afraid.

Fear wasn't a weakness.  
It had just made the most perfect warriors ever born, infinitely more dangerous.

Leviath barked an order.

And Mortread, Leviath and Castella crouched as one, and roared together.

"_**Even after killing Sekmet, defeating Amun, besting Rish'ut. You still have no idea what it is you truly face. We are the strongest creatures who ever lived. The mightiest warriors that the Imperium ever produced. That is what the Rule of the Strong is. The weak perish! We are the product of one thousand years of that law!"**_ Leviath shouted. And she roared.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not."  
Kiava said. He gave a shout.  
And the two groups clashed together.

* * *

Asamode laughed, as the Liger's leapt at the Emperor at his command. The great beasts rushed towards him. The Emperor gave a roar.

"_**Fool."**_

And jumped. He landed behind the Liger that crashed the ground where he had stood, and trust both claws deep into the beasts flank, keeping it between him, and the other attacking Ligers. His a great show of strength, he hauled the great creature's form around and slammed it to the ground. The others pounded towards him, claws extended.

Asamode didn't linger back. It was foolish to stand and gloat, and while he was not so naïve as to believe that the Emperor could overpower all four Ligers, he wasn't so arrogant as to neglect to _plan _for it. The best plans were, after all, intended to _deal _with the things you didn't expect.

"_**Aren't they impressive?" **_Asamode taunted, and jabbed at the Emperor. He backed away, attempting to avoid becoming surrounded. _**"Four of them: To replace Amun, Sekmet, Rish'ut and myself among the ranks of the Shai'tan."**_ He gloated.

"_**You'd replace your Shai'tan with mere beasts."**_ The Emperor laughed. The audacity of him finding humor in such a situation, sent Asamode into a rage. How dare he laugh now? When his world was closing around him? _**"I selected mine for a variety of reasons… including intelligence. Well. Six of them, at any rate."**_ He said again. Asamode hissed.

"_**I don't need their intelligence. Just their obedience." **_He said, charging towards the Emperor.

"_**Then you will die,**_** stupid." **The Emperor told him, calmly, and struck at Asamode. The blow was so fast, it caught him off guard, slashed through his upper chest. It knocked him backwards, with a spray of blood. The Emperor didn't stop there, he rushed forwards, and knocked into him as he stumbled, sending him off balance further, and slashed again. Asamode fell to the ground with a gasp of pain.

"_**No." **_He hissed through gritted teeth, angry as his own foolish mistake. He struck again, and the Emperor let out a hiss. The Emperor couldn't press his advantage though, because at at that moment, another of the Ligers crashed into the Emperor. Their huge weight, and huge strength turned their claws into deadly scythes that rent through flesh. Ben-Kai-Ra weaved, dodging the blows, but whenever one stopped, another was there.  
He hadn't stopped moving, and sooner or later, he would tire. Asamode pulled himself upright.

* * *

Running from the fight, Raeveal rushed to his next move. He didn't charge into the fight like his sister had. He didn't have some mad wish for glory, or death. Raeveal didn't care for glory. He loved power. And knowledge was power. He was smart. He was logical. He knew what to do, and how to use what he knew.  
And he never, ever, passed at the chance to learn something new.

He ran from the fight, stopping only when he came to a small position, several hundred yards from the fight itself.

Then he found what he was looking for.  
Glyphs.  
Or, more specifically, the first one that had been drawn. Had he been more reckless, he'd have made use of the glyphs where the Emperor had stood – but even the Emperor's wrath was not worth the risk in meddling with aspects of Shamanism he didn't understand.  
So he'd ran, searching, to the glyph he recognised.  
He found it.  
Twisting in shape, arcane in design, dug the depth of his claw, and filled to the brim with blood.

Blood was like that – Marsade had explained. It carried life throughout the body. When the heart did not beat, life did not exist. The flow of Blood was essential to life. It was essential to the world. And if it was essential to the material world, than it was essential to the spirit world. As above, so below. Marsade could warp the spiritual, to bring about change on the physical. And thus, it followed, one could warp the physical to change the spiritual.

Carefully.

He found the glyph.

And drew his claws. The Starting glyph. The one that had begun the circle. The circle that entrapped Marsade's power, directing it to do one thing and one thing alone.  
Seal any gateway as it was opened. Entrapping the Pridelanders here.  
He drew his claw across the glyph, erasing its shape. The light flickered and flared and faded in a flash of light.  
The glyphs all glowed strangely, surging with power as it pent up and swelled, like a river suddenly damned. Then, light surged once more, and Raeveal had the good sense to duck to the ground as the glyphs disintegrated, one by one, bursting apart and braking under their own power, scorching the earth, and erasing themselves, evaporating the blood that slicked their shape, and channelled its power. The outward rush of power heated and cracked the ground around them, and there was a bang that rocked his vision and sent his ears ringing. In the deafening silence that followed.

Then the glow resided, and then, the circle of glyphs was gone.

* * *

Mortread, Castella, and Leviath fought tooth and claw with Lukaan, Danyal, Almasi and Vitani. Kiava, no fool, did his best to stay out of the forefront of the fighting, but he didn't linger back either. The younger cub dashed under the paws of his elder, darted to Leviath's side. Leviath, twisted, her heart racing at the prospect of killing this self-appointed High-King, claws extended, when Vitani surged into her side, raking, slicing. Forced to ignore Kiava in favor of the more dangerous target, Leviath growled in frustration, and lashed out at Vitani.

Kiava turned, and swiped at Leviath's flank. He was less than a quarter of Leviath's size, and the blow didn't do much damage, but Leviath wasn't an armored reptile, of an indestructible tank of hide and bone.  
Muscle was muscle, and flesh was flush, and Kiava's claws cut through, severing muscle and spilling blood, just the same as any mortal's. She hissed in pain, and stumbled, turning to try to swipe at Kiava, but yet again, Vitani was there, pushing right up against her, and forcing her back, and allowing Kiava time to nimbly dart away. He was fast. A rodent. A vermin. Something to be _stamped out_. The High-King danced away. But he was the King, alright.

He led.

Her brethren fared frustratingly similar to here. Vitani and Lukaan were each facing the females, whilst Danyal and Almasi grappled with Mortread. The male Shai'tan fought desperately and with a resolution. The fighting was hard, and continued at an impasse for several minutes. It might have continued for much longer, until a shaking of the ground caused them to fall apart.

* * *

Around Pride Rock, a scarlet glow was visible, as hundreds of glyphs lit up and radiated with light. Then, when they burst apart, Mortread climbed to his feet quickly.

"_**Marsade's Circle."**_ He realized quickly.

Lukaan's eyes widened a fraction as he noticed.

Then, behind Castella, Leviath and the Shai'tan. A scarlet Gateway ripped into being. And Marsade hovered there. Marsade lifted his hand, and Danyal saw all four Rods of the Shaman hovering around him, like fish around a shark, glowing with blue, white, red and green light.

"Everyone, _down!"_ He shouted quickly, as the wave surged towards them.

* * *

Calin gave a low moan as the sound hit the side of Pride Rock. He was unconscious now, and bleeding badly. She couldn't stop the bleeding, she couldn't stop it. She felt a spike of pain, as something hit her conscioness, looked to Rafiki in shock. The mandrill was seeing to an injured gorilla, and the hyena he held in its arms, when they felt the rush of Shamanic energy. He too buckled under the pressure. The Hyena gave a shout of pain as well, to their surprise. Her eyes snapped open, and they were _white. _As if blinded. Tendrils of smoky white mist formed around her, and she gave a sigh.

"_What just happened?" _One of the hyenas asked Rafiki in confusion. Rafiki was staring at her.

"A Shaman. She is a shaman. She felt it."

"Felt what?!"  
"Whatever magical obstruction Marsade put in place that stoped us building Gateways out of here, it is gone now." Rafiki said. Sundar snorted.

"What good does that do us now? I am exhausted. I couldn't create a Gateway if I tried." She said, resignedly. "Forget that. Rafiki, help me with Calin, please. I can't… I can't lose him." Rafiki, satisfied that Asante was well, or at least unlikely to expire any time soon, moved to where Calin lay. He sent out his power, his thoughts, into the boy, feeling the shape of the injuries where he could. He cursed.

"What's the matter?" He heard a voice ask. "Is Calin okay?" Rafiki looked up, and recognized Sara, and a limping Koron. Koron's expression was muddled, characteristic of a heavy blow to the head.

"His throat has practically been sliced." Rafiki said quickly, moving over. Sundar looked shattered. She was gaunt, tired, ever iota of her energy spent. She'd spent her time, and her healing gifts, which came naturally to her, among the other patients, and among Calin in particular. If she did much more it could seriously injure her. He looked over Koron, and was relieved to see it was mere concussion. He was out of it for the rest of the fight – and probably groggy for a few days afterwards. He'd have a spitting headache. But then he'd be fine. He was relieved, and none looked more so than Sara. The orange eyed cub had looked shocked. Now though, as she looked to Calin, her concern for him grew.

"Is he going to live?" Sara asked him. Rafiki was silent. "Rafiki? Is he going to be alright? Rafiki?!"

Sundar looked desolate. _There was nothing she could do. _It was like trying to set fire to an ocean, with a spark.

"_I… can help." _They turned, and saw the hyena climbing to her feet. Rafiki moved quickly to her side.

"You're injured, you can't –"

"My name is Asante, _princess of the Shadowlands."_ She said, her lips smirking at the title. She had always hated it. It made her sound pretentious. Like some pampered royalty, rather than a warrior. A hunter. A shaman.

She reached inside herself, and found the familiar well of power. It was dim, like the smoldering embers of a burnt out fire. But if she fed it… if she tended it, if she drew on her power, pulling it into shape. It flickered, and flared back into life. She wouldn't be throwing any lightning bolts any time soon. But perhaps she could save the life of a cub. She'd saved Bhagari and Kiava after all.

Her eyes flashed again, and the white energy began to coil around her like mist. It mingled with the sapphire blue of Sundar's power, and the faint, ever so faint, golden light of Rafiki's aura.

Sundar felt the power full her. It was… different… to her own. She could taste the difference. But it was alike enough for her to make use of it. Rafiki looked troubled, looking at the two Shaman in confusion.

"_What are you? Shaman? Or something new?" _He muttered to himself. This was impossible. It was _wrong. _It was the opposite of everything he thought he'd known.

Sundar plunged their collective power into Calin. The leopard jerked at the force of the shamanistic pulse moving through him. He might have screamed, had be not been unconscious.

They felt the damage. They felt the dim light of his life. Sundar panicked. She hadn't realized he had slipped so far from her. He was wavering. Hovering at the edge of life and death, as Danyal once had, when they had first met.

"_Sundar!"_ Rafiki shouted her name. Or thought it. Or felt it. It was hard to describe such a thing when linked in such a way, by such magic.

Sundar stopped. Calin's body was broken. There was so much damage.

She sent her power into that instead. She reknit muscle. She felt and found a pair of small bone fracture. A brush of her consciousness healed those too. She sent her power further, deep into his bones. Deep into the very marrow. And pulsed her power through there. Not to heal the bones, for there was no injury there, but to generate, to replace, the lost blood. She brought it into being form the raw energy of her power.  
Dimly, at the edges of her consciousness, she felt Asante, and Rafiki doing something similar.

_Its not enough._

She felt the thought.  
She ignored it.

_Its not enough!_

That voice again. That same voice. _Shut up._

_Sundar! It's not enough! You can't do this!_

She was right. Spirits damn it all, she was right.

She didn't care. She couldn't stop now. She couldn't give up. Not if it killed her.

"Sundar." She heard Rafiki's voice.

"No. Don't say it. You are a Shaman. Help me." Sundar said. Asante gave a grunt.

They continued at this rate for a few moments. And Asante gave a moan.  
She felt the connection sever itself, and the feeling of Asante left her consciousness. The hyena, already exhausted and drained, fainted first. She dropped to the ground in a heap. Sundar pressed forward. She kept going, feeding everything, every ounce of power she could find, every tiny piece she could offer.

"Sundar stop! You have to stop!" Rafiki demanded of her. He sounded alarmed.

In desperation, he cut of his own power. She felt it vanish from her pool of power. She was running from mere vapors. The tiniest grains of power left within her.

With a groan, Sundar sank to her knees.

She'd failed. Failed.  
Asante was gone. Rafiki was gone. She was fading.

But…  
No.

She felt it.

A fourth presence.

Another well of power.  
Just at the edge of her senses. Untapped, untested. What?

_Yessen. _Was Rafiki's initial thought, but no. It couldn't be. Yessen was nowhere near them. It was something new. Something else.  
_What?!_

Calin's eyes snapped open.  
He let out a scream. Green light flashed in his eyes, and great coils of verdant mist span around him. The force of the shamanic power ripped through Sundar.  
She felt to the ground, unconscious, and landed next to Asante.

The ground cracked in a shaking. Rocks where hurled into the air around them, and landed with a crash about them, blasted apart by shamanic power.

Calin's scream ended, and he became silent.

Rafiki sent out his mind, probing, testing. The injuries were healed. Not all of them. He was bleeding in a number of places. He was beaten and bruised in half a dozen others. But he was alive. He was stable. He was unconscious.  
And he was a Shaman.

Rafiki sat back, stunned.

_What just happened?_

He heard Sara voice the question.

And Rafiki, had no idea.

* * *

Some distance away, the Emperor took a blow, and stumbled. Asamode gave a jubilant grin.

"**I am better than you. I am stronger than you. Your daughter will die, your supporters will die. If she doesn't kill herself here, then I shall kill her myself!" Asamode** said. This _finally _provoked a response from the Emperor, who lunged at Asamode. Asamode grinned. Behind him, a Liger lashed at the Emperor, cutting him in the side. He shouted in pain, and crashed to the ground and landed at Asamode's feet. Asamode slashed downwards with his own claws, spraying blood. The Emperor roared, and kicked backwards. The blow caught the offending Liger in the neck. The hulking beast gave a choke, and stumbled back, and the Emperor used the single moment it bought him to climb to his feet once again. Then he was moving, moving like lightning. Asamode cursed. The Emperor wasn't just stronger than him, he was faster too.  
He blocked the strikes the emperor made, though the impact sent shuddering pains up his limbs that made him grunt.

"**It's pathetic. For all your talk about strength, for all your talk about weakness, you still have your own weakness! **_**Her. **_**What does she offer you? She is a weakness. A vulnerability. Come on, **_**Emperor**_**. Attack me. Kill me. You have to. If you don't, who is going to save your daughter? I can dance around all day, but you? You are on a time limit, my Emperor!**_**"**_ Asamode gloated. That was the truth of it. Asmaode could afford to be cautious. He could afford to linger behind the Ligers. He could afford to fight in the way that suited him. Coiled, like a serpent. The Emperor could not. The Emperor had to fight. The Emperor had to attack. The fight, was Asamode's terms, and there was nothing the Emperor could do about it. Not unless he was willing to allow Castella to die.  
It was a beautifully simple plan.

A majestic exploitation. It wasn't complex, nor elaborate. It was the simple exploitation of a vulnerability, to give him the edge.  
For someone else, it would have seemed to be a very slight advantage.  
But for tigers, for Shai'tan, for the Emperor and his challenger, it was if one had been granted the favor of the Gods. Asmaode leapt back, dancing out of the Emperor's reach, as another Liger made a pass at Ben-Kai-Ra. He roared, and slashed him back. Then fearlessly turned and lunged at the two smaller Liger's approaching from behind. Asamode's eyes widened in shock, at the Emperor's foolishness. Then allowed himself a gasp as he struck one in the chest and twisted. He moved like a reptile, ducking under the claws of his foe to position himself behind the Liger, using it as a meat shield to avoid the deadly blows of the second. He leapt up, clawed at the Liger, and seized its head in his paws. For a moment, Asamode thought he'd snap the larger creatures' neck, but to his amazement, the Emperor twisted back and dragged the enormous creature's head onto, and into the ground, grinding it against the stone with a roar of outrage.  
It struck the rockface with a sickening _thud, _andthe Liger was still. Dead, or unconscious, it didn't matter, and Asamode had no time to check, because the Emperor was already charging towards him again.  
He was doing everything possible to keep moving, to keep changing the battlefield, to avoid being surrounded by Ligers and brought low.

"**Strength… isn't just cruelty for the things you hate. It is… **_**opportunity… **_**for the people you love. You love only yourself." **He said, as if explaining to a child.

"_**You're not the first to say that, Emperor. Do you want to try to fix me too?" **_Asamode asked.

"_**I want to rip your heart from your chest and eat it." **_The Emperor said, and lunged at him again. Asamode lashed out wildly, his blow catching the Emperor across the face, and blood filled his vision**.**

"_**I'd save that for Mortread." **_Asamode suggested. At the mention of Mortread, the Emperor's eyes glinted.  
Asamode felt his heart beat race, as he realized that the Emperor had pushed him to the edge of the cliff face from where they had overlooked the battle. That was fine. He performed well under pressure. The beginnings of an idea began to form in his head. A new and devious idea. He swallowed.

* * *

The wave of elemental energy struck towards Danyal and the rebels. They ducked to the ground. The earth screamed. Frigid air, hails of rocks, bolts of lightning, jets of flame, the wave blasted through the rift like a swarm of insects, like a hornet's nest disturbed. The rebels ducked to the ground, as the pulse of shamanic energy sailed over their heads. It crashed into one of the falling standing stones of Pride Rock, and burnt deep into its face, scarring the rock again.

"_**MOVE!" **_ Raeveal shouted through the Gateway. The final Shai'tan was glaring at his comrades. Leviath nudged Castella roughly, the without further encouragement, the tigress moved through the Rift. Nighteye and Harrin brought up the rear, as did a couple of straggling wilddogs. Seeing their escape appear, there was a rush, and the few half dozen surviving wilddogs rushed towards the gateway in desperate panic. It abolished any semblance of order or strategy within the fleeing wilddogs. The retreat had become a rout. Mortread, giving one last look through the Gateway towards Vitani and Danyal, went through last, and in an instant, the Gateway snapped shut.

He didn't even wait for the last of the fleeing wilddogs. The Gateway, luminescent edges burning like embers, sealed itself.

It closed through the limbs of a wilddog who tried desperately to close the final distance in a leap, severing its limbs. It dropped to the ground with a scream of pain and despair. The final handful of wilddogs that hadn't retreated through the Gateway looked about in panic, even as the rest of rebels descended upon the wretched things.

They were cut down in seconds.

* * *

Back at the clifface, where the Emperor and his rival fought, Asamode gave a twisted smile. _**"Come on Emperor. Your daughter is **_**dying **_**right now." **_He gloated. Ben-Kai-Ra's breath came in ragged, hateful gasps. Asamode's expression twisted. _**"You know, I actually hope she survives. It was never my intention to **_**kill **_**her. Merely use her against you." **_Asamode liad smoothly.

"_**You expect me to believe you feel anything by hate for my daughter?" **_Ben-Kai-Ra said. Asamoed had _literally _just boasted about wanting to kill her himself. Though, with Asamode, the ends weren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

"_**Oh no. I have nothing but respect for your daughter. Intelligent. Powerful. **_**Beautiful**_." _He made the last word sound like he was describing some kind of delicacy. He glowered at the Emperor. _**"I can't think what she sees in Mortread. That miserable little wretch. Perhaps she simply doesn't know better? Perhaps she ought to know, what a real Tiger feels like. Perhaps she ought to feel what it is to lie with a true Shai'tan. I doubt she'd be too receptive to the idea at first, but hey! We're Shai'tan! What does that have to do with anything?" **_Asamodeasked, laughing.

"_**You threaten to defile my daughter-"**_

"_**I threaten nothing of the sort. Mortread will already have done any **_**defiling **_**there is to be doing with his miserable carcass. I'd just enjoy whatever else was left afterwards. I am sure she'd love it… But if not… Heh. I can live with it. I already do. **_

Ben-Kai-Ra roared, and stabbed at Asamode. Asamode grinned, even as felt the claws sink into his chest. They speared through skin and muscle, and Asamode staggered under the weight, closing his eyes. He sank to one knee, breathing heavily. He let out a ragged breath. Then his eyes opened.

"_**My turn."**_

Before the Emperor could withdraw his claws, Asamode slashed both of his claws across the Emperor's neck. They severed through his throat as if it were nothing. The Emperor gave a chock, clutching at his bloodied neck with an open paw. And Asamode rushed forwards, biting at the Emperor's neck. He bit down hard, feeling blood fill his mouth. A foul disgusting, taste filled his jaws, and he gagged, spitting away the filth. The Emperor staggered back a step from both mortal blows. He looked at Asamode for the merest of moments. Then fell forwards. Asamode moved closer to catch him, and leaned in close, ignoring the fires in his chest were two open wounds now bled heavily. The price of victory. Painful, but not mortal. Unlike those he'd delivered in response.

"_**Do not worry, my Emperor. Your Legacy is assured. Who knows? Perhaps your Heir will produce an Heir for me in turn? Or perhaps not. Who can say what the future holds. All I know for sure… is that it is **_**full **_**of… possibilities. Farewell, Kai."**_

He let the body fall past him, falling, falling, and landing with a crash upon the rocks below. It didn't move.

* * *

For several moments, there was silence. The rebels looked about, for surviving wilddogs, or fighters of the Shai'tan. There was panting, growls, and the odd shout from an injured fighter. But the sounds of the fighting was dying away. There was a stillness. A quiet.  
The Pridelands waited with baited breath. They looked to each other.

Danyal gave a roar. It's echoed around the Pride Rock. Lukaan added his own voice to the roar, and was soon joined by Helio, Almasi, Damu, and the other rebels who could manage such a sound. After a few moments, Vitani added her own cry to the roar of triumph, the shout of relief.

"_Victory_!" She didn't hear who first gave the shout.

"Victory! Victory for the Pridelands!" She heard the cubs there, Inti and Sara. "_**Victory**_!"  
The felines roared, the hyenas laughed, the rebels cheered.  
Kiava gave another roar. Let them run. Let them flee. Let the Pridelands know. Let the whole of Africa know. Pride Rock Stands again!

"_**Victory**_!"

* * *

They weren't the only ones who celebrated. Asamode let out a relived sigh, and looked around.  
In retrospect, today had in fact been a _good _day.

"_**The Emperor is dead." **_He observed. He smiled.

_**"Long Live ME."**_

* * *

**AN:****  
****Hello there!**

**For those hoping you'd see Danyal's and Kiava's actual meeting (it has happened offscreen) don't worry. There will be a flashback in the next book to depict that. I simply needed to keep the twist hidden, and as such couldn't show their meeting when it occurred if I wanted Kiava's surprise arrival at Pride Rock to be a shock.**

**As for other twists… Yes. I imagine you're in shock right now, digesting the number of plot twists that just hit you like a freight train. Have no fear. There is more to come in the epilogue. That's how I role, remember?**

**So stick around.**

**Because coming up is the epilogue. And if you aren't excited for that? I suggest you a brief look back at the… ****_previous _****epilogues. Here is a recap:**

**_Epilogue of Flood:_**

**Revealed Zira as the Oracle**

**_Epilogue of Tremors:_**

**Revealed Asante and her Shamanic Abilities.**

**Revealed Shenzi, Banzai and Ed have survived are fighting the Shai'tan in the Shadowlands.**

**_Epilogue of Storm:_**

**Revealed Castella-Ra, and her identity as The Emperor's Jewel.**

**Revealed Marsade's survival.**

**Revealed Kufa's existence.**

**So you ought to be excited.**

**Anyhow, seeing as that's over:**

**I have a question for you!  
Could you please inform me of your opinions of the following sequences:**

**Character sequences: What is your opinion on how the character driven sequences are written? The dialogue heavy, emotion filled scenes between various characters.**

**Action Sequences: The action and violence is an integral part of the series, and I am anxious to avoid becoming repetitive. In view of this, would you be so kind as to tell me what you think of both the one vs one duels between characters, and the wider, more action driven battles between multiple fighters? Are they dull, are they interesting, are they repetitive? Any thoughts on the topic?**

**Magical Sequences: The use of shamanism and magic in the series was always going to polarise readers, so I think it's important to get a feel from this point, how you feel about the Shamanism. Is it being used in a way that adds to the plot, or is it being used to "Cheat" and explain away inconveniences? Does it enrich the world, or make it more cumbersome? What about the different types of magic? Bloodmagic, necromancy, and the dark arts, versus the more benevolent shamanism? Does it add to the story in your opinion?**

**I am excited to hear your views on the subject.**

**Anywho.  
**

**Stay tuned people. Expect to see the epilogue in the next few days!**


	32. Epilogue - Reconciliation

**And here we have it, gentlemen! The last hurrah! The final piece of this book. And what a journey it's been!**

**Now that this book is over, kindly leave a review to tell me what you thought of the completed novel.**

**Even if you don't normally review, or feel the need to write a review after each chapter, anything you say now concerning the overall state of the series so far will have a direct impact on the way that book V turns out.  
**

**So please, if you've enjoyed this story, drop me a review, and let me know whats gone right for you! That way I know to give you more of the same. **

**Without any further discussion, here is the Epilogue, of Book IV: Inferno.**

**Cheers: Haradion"**

* * *

**Epilogue: Reconciliation**

* * *

Asamode descended the rocky cliff face with a series of bounds and leaps. He barely felt the injuries that had been inflicted upon him in the previous fight, barely felt the aches and bruises and cuts.

All he could feel, was the sense of purpose, the sense of satisfaction, the sense of _right _that filled him right now. He. Asamode. Lord of the Shai'tan. Had achieved the impossible. He had defeated the Emperor of the World. He had toppled the head of the Shai'tan Imperium.

It was all his.

He swallowed, enjoying the moment.  
Raeveal and Leviath would have no choice but to submit to him. Marsade would see to that – each of them, the spymistress and her brother wielded considerable power, with considerable skill, but both of them had grown dependant on the Gateways to function. With Marsade's backing, they would have no choice but to serve _him._

Mortread would be another matter. Castella-Ra, the last scion of the former Emperor, would need to die. For all his talk with the Emperor, for all his goading, she was simply _too_ dangerous a tool to leave unused once discarded. She would need to be destroyed, before she could be used against him in turn. And soon as well. But not right away. He hadn't been entirely untruthful with the Emperor. He hadn't been lying either. Mortread had in fact had the right idea concerning Castella. She might have been young, but she _was_ attractive. And powerful. He would enjoy _breaking _her before he killed her. And why not? He had just achieved the impossible. Where was the harm in rewarding himself?

Mortread on the other paw, would not suffer that. He would have to die right away. And his supporters, the wilddog captains. Wilddogs made useful foot soldiers, but he'd already decided to rely on the other canine species for the more senior positions.

There were going to have to be some changes, in his new Imperium.

He found Ben-Kai-Ra's body at the foot of the cliff. His neck was twisted at an angle, and if the injuries hadn't been mortal, the fall would have killed him. There wasn't as much blood as he'd have expected, but then he had always been a cold hearted creature.

"_**How are the mighty fallen." **_Asamode observed, quietly. He supressed a surge of an emotion that might have once resembled joy.

Joy that turned to ash in his mouth, as the crumpled heap of blood and flesh, rose. And stood before him.

Asamode took a single step backwards, in shock.

The Emperor's eyes glinted.

His claws slashed out.

Asamode's guard wasn't even raised.

The claws sliced into his stomach, with a sickening tearing sound. Asamode howled, screamed in pain, as flesh and organs were ripped away. His vision swam. He struggled backwards.

The Emperor leaned towards him, and Asamode tried to crawl from the ghastly, _creature._

"_**Hyrek un calli rama!"**_Asamode all but screamed the alien words, horrified. From behind him, the ligers charged again, spreading out at Asamode's words. The Emperor turned at him with a smirk.

"_**So you did learn Hellspeak. I must confess… your accent is terrible."**_He taunted. Asamode's eyes widened. What?

"**ASHARA IBLIS NALAGNI**!" The Emperor boomed. The Ligers stopped in confusion.

"**Hyrek! Rama!" **Asmaode howled in surprise, urging the Ligers forward, but to his shock and horror, they remained standing motionless, looking not to him, but to the Emperor. Ben-Kai-Ra looked them over.

"_**A pity. If you'd actually bothered to learn it properly, instead of just the few useful phrases you thought you might need, you'd have been able to tell them to ignore anything I said." **_He grinned. His neck was still twisted at an unnatural angle, and those terrible, gaping wounds still hung open and bleeding on his neck. Asamode looked appalled.

"**You… You are **_**dead! I killed you!" **_He shouted.

"_**Yes. But it wasn't you that killed me." **_The Emperor laughed.

"_**How… ugh" **_He groaned in agony, clutching his paws to his stomach. Dear _spirits _something was hanging out. He felt the rush of blood, the coldness, his body going into shock. Damn it. _Damn it!_

"_**I must admit I felt it useful to get a practical demonstration of their abilities. They couldn't have hurt me anyway, so what was the harm in seeing them try? You are right. They are most impressive.**_**" **He looked at Asamode._**"You are a fool, Asamode. You have always been a fool. A degenerate, weak-willed fool. Did you ever wonder why I made you Shai'tan? You? A coldblooded, like you? Leviath has her Secrets. Raeveal, his mind. Rish'ut his administration, Amun his adaptive military command. Did you never wonder what I selected you for? What I chose you for? A power-hungry, manipulative, treasonous reptile? A Parasite?"**_He leaned in close, and the rotting scent filled Asamode's nostrils._**"It was precisely **_**because**_** you were a power-hungry, manipulative, treasonous reptile. I couldn't have my plans interfered with from within my own followers: As you so eloquently chided me for, the rule of the strong encourages people to take what they wanted." **_He didn't try to hide his smugness. "_**I knew eventually someone would stand against me. I knew eventually someone would challenge me. And I knew that **_**you**_** would be at the heart of it. How could it ever be otherwise? Amun's death enraged me. Sekmet's left me furious. But your death, Asamode? Your death brings me **_**nothing**_** but joy. You were always destined to die, in this way, from the moment I selected you as Shai'tan. Destined to die in the ruins of your hellbound coup. Your purpose, your singular function, within the Imperium, was to be a rotting carcass to would-be **_**vultures**_**. To flies, and maggots and all manner of foul things. You'd leach of them, drawing them all to you, like scum to rotting meat. A living, breathing, walking epitome of treason. Every coup. Every traitor. Every act against me, couldn't help but make you its focal point. They may as well have written in flame, for miles around to see: This is a Traitor. Do not trust."**_

The Emperor grinned.

"_**You were never anything special. You weren't a True Shai'tan. You weren't the next Emperor, or the future of the Imperium. You were a tool, I used, a beacon, to light up anything that might threaten my rule."**_

He laughed.

"_**And of course, you did so generously provide me with these… Ligers… of yours. I am sure they will assure your legacy. As you can see I am not… suited… to producing further offspring. I have no heartbeat. Which means no blood flow. It creates… difficulties… in reproducing. Certain biological processes are lost to me.**__**That is all you were, Asamode. Lure for **_**detritivores**_**, and **_**Breeding**_** stock. Nothing more. Castella is more a Shai'tan than you."**_

No.

NO!

It couldn't be true. He was Asamode! He was the greatest killer to ever live! The most powerful Tiger that was ever born! There was no limit to his cruelty, to his depravity! There was nothing he'd not do, no crime he wouldn't commit, no law to sacred to break. He was Asamode! He wasn't this… this monster's puppet! He wasn't a tool! He wasn't manipulated! He was lying! He was taunting him as he died. Taunting him to make him die in misery.

Spirits.

He was going to die.

He couldn't die! He couldn't be defeated! He couldn't be beaten by this... this mad thing! This abomination! He was better! He was stronger! He'd won! It wasn't fair, it wasn't fair!

"_**Kai!"**_He shouted his name. The Emperor paused.

"**Kai no longer. I am not even just Ben-Kai-Ra any longer." **He said. And he wasn't. He was a _monster_. A creature. Why didn't he die? _Why didn't he die! _He should be dead! His neck was broken, his throat was cut.

"_**What are you? What the **_**hell**_** are you?"**_

"_**I am Emperor. I am Ben-Kai-Ra. I am Shein-Su's Legacy. I am Emperor Undying."**_ He gave a laugh. And there was a shimmer. A horrible, familiar shimmer. The shimmer that rippled when one of Marsade's illusions was ripped away.

Asamode gasped.

Where the Emperor had stood, he still stood. But he was changed. His skin was pale, stretched. There were dozens of claws marks, tears, wounds, covering his entire form. His flesh was grey, and a terrible, horrible smell struck his nostrils. Illusions could fool more than one sense, and now he felt the overwhelming urge to gag, as the hideous stench of rotting flesh assailed his nostrils. Asamode choked. Ben-Kai-Ra's eyes glinted, but it was the only light to be found on him. Over his chest, a particularly severe injury displayed a fractured ribcage, and jutting bone was visible. It was greying and filthy. The heart did not beat.

The sight of it horrified him. It filled him with disgust and with dread.

"_**What are you!?"**_ Asamode shouted in terror.

The Emperor grinned.

"_**You can't kill me. Nothing can kill me. I will rule this Empire for eons. Never dying. Never fading. Never."**_

"_**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!"**_Asamode shouted, he screamed.

* * *

"_He is what I _made_ him."_A voice came.

Asamode turned, and saw Marsade standing there.

"What _we_ made him." A second voice told him. Now Asamode looked panicked.

"**Kufa…" **He shuddered. The creature gave a smile, his lips thinning to the point of giving him a skull like appearance, his vaguely ape like shape making him look distorted.

"_**I don't… I don't understand… You betrayed me!"**_

"_**Indeed he did. Castella was in no danger. Raeveal will have dissolved the Seal, and Castella-Ra, and the other Shai'tan are perfectly safe. And Marsade knew, as soon as my blood fell upon the ground what you had done."**_ The Emperor smirked.

"_**But…"**_

Marsade laughed.

"I have spent _years_ engineering this moment, this revenge. Did you really think I'd jeopardize everything for the sake of your power? Did you think I'd ever helped you unless it benefited me? You're arrogant. An egotistical megalomaniac. Why, on this Spirit's cursed earth, would I ever help you, Asamode? After I put so much effort into the Emperor?"

"**What the hell did you do to him!?" **Asamode asked, aghast.

"You remember Bane, do you not? Did you think I'd be so foolish as to use necromancy once, and once only? If you possessed the power to bring back the spirits of the dead, would you use it but once?" Marsade asked him, chuckling.

Asamode was stunned. He stared at Kai in absolute horror.

"**You… aren't Kai. You aren't Ben-Kai-Ra…" **He said, aghast**. "You are a Wraith. Wearing his skin. Who are you?! What are you?"**

"You can't guess?" Kufa gave a cruel grin."You don't recognize him? Really? I am disappointed in you."

The Emperor growled, and stepped forward.

"**My Name. Is Shien." **The Emperor said, eyes glinting. **"My Name is Shan-Al-Kir! Ageless. Immortal Emperor of Shai'tan Imperium. I am Emperor **_**Undying**_**. Emperor Resurrected!"**

"**That's… but… that's… not possible!" **Asamode turned to Marsade. **"You resurrected the Emperor of the First Imperium! Your revenge against Rafiki… You mean to inflict every atrocity you suffered against him."**

"I swore it centuries ago: As I have wept, so will Rafiki! As my friends bled, so will his! As my home burned, so will the Pridelands. When I met Kufa all things became possible." Marsade said, grinning.

Asamode stared at him. At the insanity of it all.

"**You killed Ben-Kai-Ra. And in his place, you resurrected the creature you hated most of all for this vengeance…" **Asamode gasped in shock. Marsade laughed shaking his head.

"Oh, I did more than that Asamode. I didn't just resurrect Shan-Al-Kir. See, Wraiths, they come with a few little… side effects. A few little niggles. The hunger, Asamode, is immense. It burns within them. It breaks them apart. The mortal form is not sufficient. It isn't meant to hold anything other than the soul it was designed for. To take a tortured soul, from the hellpits of the Dark one, plunge it into a broken, decaying vessel, and expect it to live again? That is madness. Bane expired after merely a few days. As emperor Ben-Kai-Ra, Kai has been alive again for years." Marsade said, triumphantly, and Asamode felt the distinct impression that this was a burning secret, a hidden triumph, a massive discovery that Marsade had longed for so long to share with someone, anyone, who might understand its genius. Or its madness.

"I didn't _kill_ Ben-Kai-Ra. I didn't murder your Emperor, Asamode. I didn't kill him in secret, and replace him with my Wraith. I performed the greatest feat of Dark Magic ever imagined. The single most perfect piece of bloodmagic since this world's birth! I rose the dead, Asamode, and within the flesh of the living! I took a broken, tormented Soul, and melded it with a living, breathing vessel." Marsade explained, holding his hand aloft in triumph. "What happens, Asamode? What happens when the Soul of a spirit, long Dead is resurrected, and bound to the flesh of the living? What happens, when two equally opposed souls, meet in a single vessel?" Marsade asked. Asamode shook his head, unable to understand, unable to comprehend such an abomination.

"**I am Ben-Kai-Ra. I am Emperor." **The Emperor repeated, grinning. A single entity. Emperor Past and Emperor Future. One Soul. One Flesh.

"Kai was more than willing, to do whatever it took, to pay any price. To become whatever he needed to be. He became _**Emperor**_. When he did, he retained his mind, his goals, his savagery. But gained something… _more_." Marsade said.

"**That was when you did it!" **Asamode gasped**. "That was what altered Kai! Made him willing to defeat and imprison his own father! You brought about the downfall of the Old Imperium. You are the reason Kai became Emperor to begin with! You are the reason for… all of this."**

Marsade glared at him.

"I merely made it possible. He has done nothing as Ben-Kai-Ra, that would have been willing to do as Kai… albeit… sooner rather than later." Marsade said as Ben-Kai-Ra stood up.

"**Kufa. Marsade. Please excuse me. I must re-join my loyal servants. And speak words with my… son-in-law. The **_**second **_**Shai'tan to attempt to usurp me today." **He said, eyes glinting dangerously. Marsade nodded. There was a brief shimmer as the illusion restored itself. The scent of rotting flesh faded away, the sight of greying skin turning back to living tissue. Illusion. All of it. Within moments, there was no sign that Kai had ever been injured. He flexed his muscles.

A single Gateway appeared before Kai. Kai passed through the Gateway, and Marsade followed him. It sealed behind him, leaving Asamode alone with the Kufa. He gasped in pain.

"**What… what is Marsade's game. If he didn't want to overthrow the Emperor, what is it that he wants?" **He grunted. Kufa smiled.

"He wants, what he has always wanted, Asamode. He wants vengeance. Upon Raffiki. Upon the Spirits. Upon all the worlds, mortal, twilight and spiritual. He will rain down hell upon everything that Rafiki holds dear, break apart everything Rafiki loves, piece by piece. He will tell himself, for centuries if necessary, that it is justice. That he is doing all this for the things he has lost. Never admitting – even to himself - that he doing it for reasons of his own. But the reality is this: He does this, because he wants to. Because he likes it. Because it feels good."

"**Why? Why attack the Pridelands. What is there here for him?"**

"The same thing there was last time, Asamade. He attacks the Pridelands because I told him to." Kufa said. Asmaode stared at him.

"**Why?" **He asked simply. Kufa only laughed.

"The Rods of the Shaman. Fire. Water. Air. Earth. Aether. Vessels of the power of Creation. The power that formed and sculpted the earth from a barren rock. That power that molded the Heaves from the void. That set the first stars in place. That brought life to the universe. Divided into five, and set upon the earth. Nature's power. And wielded by the Five. To guard and defend the world. The Vessels of the Light of Creation. The Rods of the Shaman." He grinned. "But Bloodmagic? Necromancy? They aren't the gifts of the Creator. They aren't born from the light of Creation. They are born from other ministers. Other entities." His eyes narrowed. "Within this world, within this corrupted, filthy creation, there is something older. Something ancient. A Vessel of something, infinity more dangerous. You've seen the Light's Vessels. I search for the Vessel of Darkness. The power of decay. Of destruction." He shut his eyes, feeling. Sending out his mind. His power. Asamode could feel it, emanating from him, like heat from a flame. Dear Spirits. He could feel it. Clutching at his soul, a malevolence to profound.

"The Kingdoms and the Heavens are dying. And I feed on _death_. The Vessel is almost within my grasp. And with it, the power it holds. And with that power, I shall sweep away the heavens, and the Earth. I will bring about the End of All Things."

"**You aren't a Shaman."**

Asamode said. Kufa grinned.

"Did I ever say I was?"

And he laughed. He laughed. Darkness began to swell around him, and Asamode screamed in terror. Kufa's mouth split open, disjointed, like that of a serpent, and revealed teeth far longer and sharper than anything a baboon, or mandrill, or orangutan or any primate could ever have possessed. Kufa lunged at the former Shai'tan, laughing, and Asamode howled in terror.

When Kufa had finished, he wiped the blood from his mouth. The darkness rippled. And Kufa vanished.

* * *

Atop the ruins of Pride Rock, Kiava gave a roar. Behind him, awaiting their King, stood a number of animals. Many he knew. Others still he didn't know. Sara was with Koron and the leopard cub known as Calin, but Inti stood to one side, watching Kiava carefully. The flame-haired lion cub had aged the most of all of them. His tuft, already the longest of the cubs, had expanded into a wide coronet of ginger fur. He wasn't injured, he gave a smile when he saw Kiava watching him. Next to him, looking uncomfortable, the apes Bruce and Ookai stood, awaiting direction. The rebels didn't seem to know what to make of the sly monkey, nor his slow talking partner. There would be plenty of time to for introductions later. In fact, he was certain that the next time he looked, Ookai would already have integrated himself into the new circles.

It was to the adults he looked now. Vitani and Lukaan – the white maned, white furred lion who led the Asiatics. He confessed, he'd been surprised to learn of the presence of other lions within the rebels. Vitani had been busy in the months he'd been missing. Busy indeed. He'd gathered something of the goings on within the rebels from his hushed conversations with Danyal. He'd remained tightly lipped on a number of issues.  
Danyal, on the other hand, looked about nervously. He'd watched Kiava, disappear and speak with Vitani for well over an hour since their defeat of the Shai'tan's forces. He'd no idea what they'd discussed, and he didn't lie to himself, he was nervous. He'd no idea what she'd said, what she'd told him. They hadn't parted on good terms, and while returning to their aid in their hour of need with the rightful King, and a large army of hyenas (the diversity of which still took him aback), could have gone someway in thawing such frosty relations, he couldn't pretend that all was forgiven between them.

Kiava gave a roar, and a respectful silence descended on the rebels. For many it was the first time they'd heard their King speak.

"_Everyone." _He began. "_Today, we celebrate a victory! We celebrate the defeat of the Shai'tan! We celebrate the restoration of the Lion Kings! Many moons ago, I stood in this Den. In this citadel of the Lion Kings of old. I watched as the Shai'tan burned my home, murdered my family, scattered my people and destroyed my kingdom. But I didn't forget. Now, I have returned. And I watched as we routed the Imperium, crushed their armies, and retook our home! Now, I watch something amazing take place! I watch the nexus of something the Pridelands, no, Africa, has never before seen! I've seen creatures from every corner of the world come together as one to fight the Imperium. I've seen former enemies fight, side by side. I've seen entire species, who by rights, should be mortal foes, stand back to back, for the sake of freedom! Before us, stands a difficult fight. We face pain, and loss! But today, we've proved that to do so, brings victory! This is a path _worth _taking. This is a cause worth fighting for! And if necessary, this is a world, worth _dying _for! A world, where lion, hyena, panthers, leopards, fight side by side for each other's right to live in peace! The Shai'tan, say that the Rule of the Strong, is what gives them the right to Rule. I say, that our strength, is in us all! Standing together!"_ He gave a roar, and the others cheered at that.

"In times gone by…" he spoke now, his voice returning to a normal tone. It still carried, carried now, not by volume, but by tone. By his serious eyes, and his measured pace. "…the Lions of the Pridelands ruled from Pride Rock. But I tell you this: My Pride, is any who would stand at my side. There will be a place for _anyone _here, for those who want it. You fought this battle. You bled for this Rock. This is my home. But is also a home, for all of us." He looked to Lukaan. "And it is a home to you; our friends, from Asaitica. Those who fled the Shai'tan. Those whose lives were destroyed by Ben-Kai-Ra's conquest. You are no longer homeless, landless, or kingless. This is _your _home. This is _your _Pride. This is _your _kingdom." He trailed off. "But these are words. And words mean nothing. Actions are what will speak, long after words have turned to dust. How then, can I show, with more than words, that this is your Kingdom? How can I show, with more than words, that this is your home?" He looked to Vitani, who nodded stiffly. "My Aunt Vitani, is better versed in matters of politics than I am. But I believe that among both our cultures, it has been custom for two members of different Prides to be mated, and thus unify our Prides. After conferring with Vitani, that is a custom I have decided to uphold." He looked to the asiatics, who looked elated at the news. Sundar on the other paw, looked stoic. "Sundar, Princess of the Asiatics, daughter of Lukaan, and Heir of Malaki, are you willing to do this thing, and bring unity to our Prides? To be joined to the Royal family of the Pridelands?" He asked her. Sundar looked to Danyal, for a long moment, then nodded her head slowly.

"I… I shall." She said, giving her consent.  
Kiava nodded slowly.

"_Let the Pride be my witness: I, Kiava, Son of Kovu who was the Son of Scar, and Son of Kiara who was the daughter of Simba, High-King of the Pridelands, all the Light-Touched-Earth, and the Lands-in-Shadow, Black-Flame of Pride Rock, do declare before witnesses that Sundar daughter of Lukaan, should be mated before the Pride, into the Royal Family of the Pridelands."_ He decreed. "In a ceremony, at sunset tomorrow, Sundar, daughter of Lukaan, shall be mated." He lips curved into a smile. "To _Danyal. _Son of Kovu, who was the Son of Scar. Brother of the King."

Danyal felt the world open beneath him. What?!

Everyone was looking to him. He felt his mouth go dry. Had he heard that right? Surely he had been mistaken. No. Kiava was looking at him, and smiling. _Smiling. _Kiava. You _bastard. _Kiava was grinning at him. _Grinning _at him!

"Danyal. Come here. Do you agree to this? Will you, in service to the Pridelands, take Sundar as your mate? Before the Pride?" Danyal felt his feet carry him towards the young King. Kiava leaned in close as he did so.

"Vitani told me of her… plans." He said quietly, so that only Danyal could hear him. "I had a… better idea." He said, smiling.

He had planned this. Danyal was staring in shock. The arrogant child! What… he could barely stand as the magnitude of this new information hit him. He could be with Sundar. He wouldn't have to watch from afar as Sundar was mated off to Kiava like some prize. Wouldn't have to watch as she ruled his pride, and know he'd never love another lioness. He could… he could mate _her, _the single most beautiful lioness he'd ever known, the one with whom he'd fall in love with.  
It was there. Infront of him.  
And Kiava was offering it to him. No strings. No conditions. No traps.

Just what he wanted. Just the life he wanted.  
For once, he was being offered the life he wanted, the life he'd dreamed of.

"You seem surprised?" Kiava commented. _Surpirsed? Surprised? _Danyal could have skinned his hide! King or no king!

"I… But… You could have _warned _me!" Danyal hissed. Kiava gave him a coy grin.

"What? And spoil all the fun?" He asked him.

Danyal growled. High-King or not. Kiava was such a _child! Joking! At a time like this?!_

Kiava nodded, and at that, many of the animals cheered, and offered their congratulations to Danyal and Sundar. Lukaan, in particular looked especially satisfied – so much so that Danyal knew that he must have had _something _to do with it. Even Helio looked cheerful – though possibly at Danyal's stunned expression. Sundar on the other hand, had eyes only for Danyal. She rushed towards him, and nuzzled him all over, purring into his fur. When they broke apart, she looked up at him.

"When you left, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I was… devastated." She told him. Danyal felt a pang of guilt.

"I am sorry. So sorry. You were right. My place is _here_. With my family. From now on that is _you_. And no anger, no hatred, no matter what happens, no matter where we go from here, will ever be enough to make me leave you again. I promise you." Danyal told her, silently cursing himself for ever feeling so lost, so bitter, that he could have bared to leave her side, even only temporarily. Danyal let out an uncharacteristic purr, as Almasi came over to congratulate them. Vitani kept her distance, her expression unreadable, though Damu thought she saw the flicker of something akin to pride in her expression when she looked over Danyal, and his devoted bride-to-be.

They were young. So very young. Perhaps too young.

Certainly, in times gone by, they would never dream of letting two young lions so young commit to something so important. Almasi hadn't even sure they _could _mate, until Vitani had pointed out that, since Danyal was unquestionably Kovu's Son, they were slightly older than Kulana and Kovu had been when Danyal was conceived. Though, as Danyal's existence proved – she jested – just because something was possible, didn't make it a good idea. They were not yet one anyone would call fully grown.  
But, she supposed, that didn't matter.  
They were at war. Their lives weren't certain. There was no garuntee any would live long enough to live long and full lives. Love didn't care for that. And neither did fate. So who was to say wether they were ready? Who was to decide that, save them themselves? Let them be mated before the Pride. They loved each other. That much was clear to anyone who saw them. None could question it. So why not? Take whatever love life offered them, now, and hold onto it tightly.

She nodded approvingly, at Danyals's expression. Once he'd gotten over the shock of the situation, it was one of pure happiness. As if some great weight had been lifted from his back, and left him free and mobile for the first time in years.

Asante, watched the two together for a moment, and laughed at his expression. The sound drew Kiava's attention, who shared in her expression.

"Well done, Kiava. You've united the two Prides. And in such a way, that you may have helped heal whatever rift there was between him and Vitani." Asante congratulated him. Kiava frowned.

"How do you know about that?"

"She's the only one not smiling. And she was the only one whom he didn't rush to as soon as the fighting was over. Something happened between them." She said, firmly. Kiava nodded. He agreed. He didn't know exactly what yet. But Vitani and – it seemed – Danyal, were the only family he had left. He would not have them fighting. Something would need to be done. But not today. Not right now. Now was a time for celebration.  
"So it that it?" Asante asked. "Are they married now, because you said so?" She asked him. Kiava shrugged.

"Most lions mate as soon as they say their mated, for as long as they stay together. With royalty, things are a little… funny. And they are both royalty."

"A King's niece, whose _without_ a Kingdom, and Kovu's bastard Son –"

"Asante!"

"Sorry." She apologised. That was uncalled for. "So… What's the deal with royalty?" She asked him. Kiava sighed. Hyenas. So crude sometimes.

"There is a special ceremony. A public profession of love, of commitment. Tradition. That sort of thing. It has to be before the Pride. And officiated by a Shaman."

"How peculiar."

"So how do you feel about it?"

"I just said, peculiar…"

"No, about officiating."

She stopped, and stared at him. Kiava's expression was neutral.

"Are you serious?!"

"What? Not up to the challenge?"

"Me?! Kiava, I don't _do _formal. I don't do _ceremony." _She said quickly. Kiava was grinning.

"Asante, you're a Shaman!"

"I am not a _priestess!"_

"Sundar can't mate _herself_, and Rafiki will need… time." He said. There was a silence then. They had recovered Yessen's body. Rafiki hadn't been the same. He'd seemed… distant. Cold.

Alone.

"What about that leopard?" Asante asked, suddenly.

"Calin? He's a child, whose abilities have just awoken, whose recovering from critical wounds, wounds-"

"Okay, fair enough, I get it." She trailed off. She looked at Kiava. "You _planned_ for this." She accused him. Kiava's eyebrows rose.

"Hmm?"

"Kiava!"  
"Well. As I said. This was to unify my new Kingdom. I had to involve the Hyenas somehow." He said. He gave her a smile. Asante was staring at him.  
"An Asiatic lioness. Mated to a Pridelander – born in the Outlands – and a scion of Scar at that." She said. "In a ceremony officiated by a _hyena."_ She looked at him. "Before a mixed Pride of lions, hyenas, panthers, jaguars, leopards, a_ wilddog, _a meerkat, a monkey, and a gorilla. On the slopes of Pride Rock. Besides a battlefield." She shook her head.

"Kiava…" She whispered, suddenly awestruck by what they had before them. "What are we creating here?" She asked. Kiava gave a small sigh.

"Something new. Something even the Imperium cannot stand against. Something _wonderful_." He said. And with that, he moved down, and went to speak to his family, and his friends. To talk with Damu and Sara. To laugh with Inti and Almasi. To be among friends, and family, in the home of his ancestors.

Asante watched him go, and gave a small smile, as she saw Zuri leap up to Kiava. She paused for only a moment, as she looked at her friend, the King, then nuzzled him softly, congratulating him. Asante choked back a laugh as she watched Damu's expression.

"Aye." She said, in wonder. "That it is."

* * *

Castella walked with a slight limp, from where some lioness or other had grappled at her side. Sharp teeth had punctured the flesh and made walking painful. She bore it though, without complaint. The rest of the Shai'tan also sported superficial wounds, with the exception of Raeveal, who had barely participated in the conflict. Mortread and Leviath both had similar injuries to their legs. But they weren't badly hurt. A number of wilddogs lingered around. The Shai'tan had said nothing to them, and they lay around in small groups, awaiting the call to arms or other instructions.

Marsade had vanished quickly after sealing the gateway behind them.

There was a sense of foreboding among the survivors. Things had been going so well, the fight had been _theirs. _But they'd suffered catastrophic losses when the hyenas had attacked the rear of the wilddogs line. It had been so unexpected, that many had been killed before even realising the danger. The tide had turned against them suddenly and shockingly. It left a bitter taste in his Harrin's mouth, just to think on it.

The inactivity was broken by a sudden and violent flash of crimson light. Before their eyes, a Gateway ripped its way into the space before him, contorting the fabric of reaility until the tear twisted and opened to reveal Marsade. And with him was the Emperor.

The Shai'tan all stood up immediately, and bowed before the Emperor. Castella as well – though at a slightly shallower angle as that of her fellows. The wilddogs, wolves, other survivors also knelt on the ground, as the Emperor strode towards him.

Marsade said nothing. The orangutan was silent.

The Emperor said nothing. He merely looked at the Shai'tan, as if challenging him to speak. Eventually, Raeveal (whom had participated the least in the fight, and for whom it was decidedly safer to speak out of turn) cleared his throat.

"_**My Lord Emperor.**_" He said. _**"I… would recommend withdrawal to the Outlands. We need to replace the wilddogs lost in the battle." **_The Emperor looked at him.

"_**We will do so." **_He agreed. It was the most sensible course of action. _**"Once we have resolved one final issue." **_He said. He pointed a clawed pawtip at Mortread. _**"This was your plan. You predicted that the Pridelanders would eventually attack Pride Rock, based on information you gleaned from the mind of the captured juvenile on the decision making processes of **_**Vitani. **_**So what went wrong?!" **_He asked him. Castella looked to Mortread alarmed, but Mortread swallowed.

"_**I could not have predicted the arrival of the Hyenas, their Shaman, or King Kiava!" **_Mortread protested. Ben-Kai-Ra.

"_**No?**_** Perhaps not. **_**But you were surrounded by hyenas, lions, rebels, on all sides. How did you escape?" **_The Emperor asked the question, well aware of the answer. Castella stepped forward, wincing as she stood on her injured limb, and the Emperor did not miss her expression as she did so.

"_**Father, I-"**_

"_**You will be silent." **_The Emperor spoke. Mortread looked up in alarm at the tone in the Emperor's voice.

"_**I- My Lord, Castella and Leviath rallied the remnant of the wilddog pack, to come to our aid. They delayed our defeat long enough for Raeveal to break the seal, and for Marsade to form the Gateway."**_Mortread said. Ben-Kai-Ra looked to Leviath, who swallowed uncomfortably. She glanced at Mortread, and felt a swell of fear.

"_**Did you give that order? Did you take Castella-Ra, Heir to the Empire, into the heart of the fighting?"**_

"_**I… gave no such order. Castella acted on her accord. I did what I could to protect her in the aftermath of that decision."**_ She admitted. Castella's eyes widened, sudden realisation gripping her. Leviath was mitigating damage to herself. She was defending her actions. Fortifying her position. As if under attack.

"_**So you, dearest daughter, risked everything… yourself… your fighters… to go to Mortread's aid." **_He trailed off, looking at her intently. _**"So it's true. Asamode spoke the truth."**_

"_**Asamode?" **__What did that snake say?__** "Where is our… comrade?" **_ Raeveal asked, speaking for the first time.

"_**Asamode is dead. He attempted to usurp my rule. And died a traitor's death." **_He said. Behind him, the gateway flickered again, and stepping through the gateway, the three Liger's made there. Raeveal's perverted offspring, and the two of Asamode's spawn. _**"Though not before leaving me his scions. And his wisdom." **_

His eyes glinted. He pointed a claw to Mortread, and barked in hellspeak. "_**Jar alel halih" He**_ barked. _Seize him. _The liger's moved with speed, pushing Mortread to the ground. In moments, he was forced onto his knees. Out of instinct, he struggled, and felt the claws of the Liger's penetrate his limbs, pierceing his paws. Blood welled up beanth his paws, as claws speared his arms to the ground. He tasted dirt, as his head was forced to the ground, and he roared in pain.

"NO!" Castella shouted, and leapt to her feet, and was immediately dragged to the ground, not by a liger, but by Leviath, the older tigress forcing her down, her expression one of urgency. Her eyes were wide in shock, but they spoke volumes to Castella. _Don't be stupid! _They pleaded with her. Raeveal leapt up in shock at the turn of events, his own face twisted into surprise.

"_**Father! Mortread had no part in Asamode's treachery!" **_ Castella shouted urgently. Raeveal looked about, trying to understand this twist of events. Leviath nodded firmly.

"_**My lord, I must agree.**_ _**Mortread and Asamode despised each other, there is little chance-"**_

"_**ENOUGH!" **_ The Emperor shouted.

The other wilddogs looked about in shock. Harrin felt his gut twist. Dear spirits. No. This was a disaster!

"_**My lord, I am loyal to you!" **_Mortread protested. Ben-Kai-Ra swiped his paw across Mortread's face. The resounding *smack* echoed about them, and Mortread grunted, but was held fast by the Ligers.

"_**You are loyal to yourself." **_ The Emperor corrected. _**"I see now… I have been blind. To watch, unseeing, as the youngest… and most ambitious of the Shai'tan seduced my own daughter." **_The Emperor said. Levaith closed her eyes, focusing. Castella's mouth dropped open into a loud _Oh _of horror. Raeveal looked to Mortread. _You didn't! _ His expression seemed to say. For all his taunting, all his mocking, he'd never believed the rumours.

"_**My Emperor, I –"**_

"_**You are a traitor and would-be usurper. I have lost many valued servants… But I think I can spare one more. You will die a traitor's death." **_The Emperor said. He took a step forward, his claws unsheathing with a dreadful sound. Mortread felt a rising surge of fear in his stomach.

"_**Father! No, Please, I beg you! Don't do this! Don't kill him! Don't do this!"**_ She protested, panicking, talking quickly.

"_**Be quiet!" **_ Levaith urged her, but she broke free.

"Castella-!"

"_**Mortread, No! Father, I beg you! You don't understand"**_

"_**It is you who understands nothing of the world."**_

"Father I _love _him! You can't kill him for that-"

"_**I can kill him for betraying me. I can kill him for endangering your life. I can kill him for attempting to usurp me. I can kill him **_**because I want to." **_The Emperor hissed._

"**Father, I love him!"**

"_**You only think you do. That is what he does. He lies. He twists. He manipulates. For power. That is all you are to him. All any of us are to him. All you are to anyone. The Shai'tan are power."**_

"_**That's not true! He loves me, for me! Not as some way to climb power! If I helped him in any way, it is because I wish to help the Tiger Lord I fell in love with! Please, Father, understand that!"**_

Mortread closed his eyes. He looked at the Emperor, his claws drawn. He was furious. He was wrathful. His anger would be satisfied, and he could feel it growing. Building. Burning at his daughter's insolence, that should dare defy him!

"_**My Lord…" **_The Emperor towered over him, a darkening ominous presence. He outstretched a single claw, and Mortread felt its tip run along the side of his face. He felt another spike of fear.

"_**Did you love her, Mortread? Or was she merely a means to an ends?" **_He asked him. Mortread hesitated only for a moment.

"_**She… I… She was a means to an end." **_Mortread lied. He didn't dare look at Castella. Didn't dare meet her eyes. He heard her breath still, heard her stare at him.

"_**Liar**__." _She whispered in horror. _You're lying. Why lie? Why now? Why pretend? _Mortread didn't look at her.

"_**See. Now he reveals himself. He is what he is. He is a Shai'tan! He **_**DOESN'T **_**Love!"**_

"_**He Loves me!"**_

"_**He murdered his own brother! His own twin!"**_

The Emperor shouted over her. Mortread closed his eyes. Raeveal said nothing. Leviath didn't look at him. _**"She died at his own claw when I demanded it. He betrayed his family. He betrayed his parents. And he did it all for power. What makes you think he would not sacrifice you as well? He lured Shan-Yi from his guards. He manipulated the Emperor of the Old Imperium. He tricked my father. He brought about the end of the Old Imperium. And he did it for ambition. For power. For what he wanted."**_

"_**I am not my Grandfather!"**_

"_**No. But like him, you are fooled by his idealism. By his youth. By his nature. This is who he is. He is Shai'tan."**_

"_**I served you… I killed for you…" Mortread said the words slowly. The Emperor looked down upon him without pity."**_

"_**Kill him, and you'll have to kill me too." **_ Castella said, desperately. Mortread looked up at her then.

"_**No. I won't." **_He waved a paw wordlessly, and Raveal moved to join Levaith in restraining her. She was struggling now, fighting back, lashing out. Mortread was motionless. He had already lost.

"_**NO! Please, spirits NO! This is WRONG! Don't do this! Please don't do this! Not him! Please!" **_She screamed, begging. It would make no difference.

She looked at her father, his claws drawn, his hatred born. She felt the anger. She saw even Raeveal and Leviath shrink back in power. He was furious. Ready to kill. Ready to crush anyone and anything who stood against him. He believed that Mortread had mated with her only as a way to advance his own power. As a way to manipulate her. As a way to make himself emperor. As a way to act against him. She was just the tool of his choosing.

If the Emperor believed for a moment that he loved in a truth… He wouldn't believe Mortread any less capable of plotting his defeat, of plotting to usurp him. He'd merely believe… that _she _were his accomplice!

The thought was jarring to her.

It hit her suddenly like cold water.

Suddenly, her life was in danger.

And Mortread knew it.

No. _No! _

"_**Father, this is wrong! I beg you, please, don't do this! He didn't **_**plan **_**anything, he didn't want anything, he just wanted –"**_

"_**What? What, Castella, did he want? Mortread is a Shai'tan. He is greedy and cruel. He is powerful. He is strong. And he isn't afraid of doing what he must to achieve his ends. That is why I chose him. Why I marked him as Shai'tan. Why he was called **_**Accursed **_**by his own kind! He is a Shai'tan. He isn't capable of acting out of love. If he were, he'd have died in the Old Imperium. Instead, he helped burn it. He already helped kill one Emperor in the name of Power. Did you imagine that you we're somehow special to him?**_

"_**I am special to him! Father, please, you act out of love! You love me! Your daughter! Why can't he be the same!?" **_The Emperor hesitated for only a moment, at her logical, at her defiance as she pointed out his hypocrisy. He growled, shaking his head. Then he let out a bellowing roar.

"_**NO ONE IS THE SAME AS ME! AND IF I THOUGHT HE WAS, I'D HAVE KILLED HIM LONG AGO! I WILL SUFFER NO **__**RIVAL**__**!"**_

The Emperor shouted.  
It hit her then. He feared Mortread. It mattered not, whether Mortread was genuine or not. It mattered not whether he loved her, or used her.

The Mate of the Princess was the Prince-Consort. An Emperor in waiting. A second potential heir. A _Rival._ Mortread would be, as Kai had once been. Heir to an Empire.  
And Kai had selected those, who had embodied those traits that made him strong. Cunning. Cruel. Powerful. Ambitious.  
Just as Kai had defeated Shan-Yi, Mortread could one day stand against Ben-Kai-Ra.  
It was inevitable. It was the nature of the Imperium. The natire of Shai'tan. The Emperor had ensured it.  
And now he took steps to ensure his own creation could not consume itself.  
Mortread frightened Ben-Kai-Ra.

The fear of a Shai'tan, was a terrible thing. The most dangerous place to be. How much worse, was the fear of the Emperor? She had once thought, that to invoke the Emperor's wrath, was the worst thing one could do. She had been wrong. How much worse, it was to invoke his fear?

"_**Father**__!" _She shouted futilely. "_**Please**_**! Don't do this. Levaith, Raeveal, Please! This is wrong! You know this is wrong! Stop this! You can't! Father!" **Now her shouted became sobs.

"_**You will **_**never **_**be Emperor." **_ Ben-Kai-Ra said.

_I never wanted to be._

He thought. But he stayed his tongue.

"_**No." **_ Was all he said, instead. The Liger pressing his back to the ground released his pressure, crippled a claws paw around Mortread's neck, and hauled him to his feet. The Emperor gave a roar.

And thrust his paw into Mortread's chest. All five razor sharp class pierced up to the wrist. Blood welled around him. Mortread bit back a scream, even as Castella's resounded around the battlefield, as painful to his ears as if it were his own.

The Emperor ripped his paws away, spilling more blood, and letting Mortread fall, motionless to the ground, as blood pooled around him. Castella was beide herself, clawing, thrashing, screaming in pain and anger.

"_**We retreat to Golgorath." **_ The Emperor said: To Marsade as much as to everyone else, and a few moments later, the gateway burst forth into being. Castella continued to scream even as Leviath dragged her through. Marsade followed. The Emperor turned, and spoke to Raeveal, who rubbed his bleeding arms where Castella had bitten him.

"_**Find the Wilddog commanders who served under him, and their inferiors. Treason is an infectious disease. Purge it. Kill them all. Anyone he had close contact with. Wipe him from the Imperium."**_

Raeveal gave a roar, as he began the grim task there and then, tearing into the few exhausted and injured wilddogs that surrounded them, even as panic took a hold. The Ligers joined in with bloody spectacle, as wilddogs tore wilddogs apart, as Mortread's blood pooled around them.

* * *

**AN:**

**I promised you a surprise.  
Surprise.**

**Firstly, Yes: The Emperor survived! I guess all of you must have – to some degree – suspected this. Though, as this series frequently reminds us, dead isn't always gone. To paraphrase Marsade: I invested all that effort into the Emperor! You didn't think I'd kill him off now, did you?  
Well, actually, yes. He's been dead a long while. He has been this entire time. So I didn't lie, did I?**

**What a year.  
What a year.**

**Inferno was first published on August, 15****th****, 2014.  
Today, I finish it, on August 1****st****, 2016.  
It's been a hell of a couple of years. The world itself has changed irrevocably. I couldn't have imagined when I began Flood, that the idea of a group of fighters, descendants of a toxic ideology, would tear apart its ancestral homeland, declaring itself a new Empire, and attack the world across every continent, was purely fiction.  
Yet the world has changed much over the last two years. Or maybe I've changed. And I see it more clearly for it.  
I, for instance, was just leaving school. Now I am entering my final year of university! Who'd have thought it?**

* * *

**My writing has developed and matured over those years.**

**Taking this into account, I must announce a short hiatus, before Lion King Legacies will resume.  
During this period, I shall be embarking on a project.**

**Lion King Origins: Judgement [Remastered]  
Lion King Legacies – Book I: Flood [Remastered]**

**Lion King Legacies – Book II: Tremors [Remastered]**

**Lion King Legacies – Book III: Storm [Remastered]  
Now, I stress, that these are not total rewrites.**

**The Story will not change. Don't feel you need to read these if you are already familiar **

**But the **_**quality **_**of writing will be improved as will a number of minor continuity errors. There will be some new scenes: Some characters that were introduced late in the series, might get some earlier appearances. Though as I stress, the story will not change. Merely, the same story will be told better, to reflect my improved writing.**

**I would take this as an opportunity to revisit these series, familiarise yourself with the lore of the series, in preparation for the finale.**

**I recommend Favouriting/Following me, so you are alerted when the series resumes.**

**As for this epilogue? I am proud of it.**

**There are a couple of meetings here that will be shown in full depth later, such as Damu and Zuri's meeting, mother to child and Danyal and Kiava's first meeting in the Shadowlands, that will be shown next book via flashback.**

**Tonally, they didn't fit here, so you'll have to be patient, even though chronologically, they take place here in the now.**

* * *

**I'll repeat, n****ow that this book is over, kindly leave a review to tell me what you thought of the completed novel.**

**Even if you don't normally review, or feel the need to write a review after each chapter, anything you say now concerning the overall state of the series so far will have a direct impact on the way that book V turns out.  
So please, if you've enjoyed this story, drop me a review, and let me know whats gone right for you! That way I know to give you more of the same.**

* * *

**For now, here is a quick sneak peak of what is to come:**

**The Lion King Legacies – Book V: Apocalypse.**

* * *

_**It is a time to celebration. There are whispers, throughout Africa. Throughout the entire Imperium. Murmured hope. **_**Pride Rock Stands Again.**

_**Kiava, Son of Kovu, Son of Kiara, has crowned himself High-King of the Pridelands. The rebel forces have repelled the forces of the Emperor. The Imperium reels from the sting of the first defeat they have been dealt. Rebels have seized control of Pride Rock. Lions, Asiatics, hyenas standing together in the face of the Imperium.**_

_**Love is declared and witnessed.  
Friendships are held.**_

_**Alliances between bitter enemies are formed.**_

_**Old hatreds are buried.**_

_**The King has returned.**_

_**Now the true fight begins. Dark forces are at work within the plains of Africa. Within the Shadows. Even now, neither the Pridelanders, not the Imperium fully understand the true stakes in the war they fight. As the heavens buckle under the strain, not all within the rebels are **_**fully **_**at peace. Recent mysteries and revelations remain intact, and some still divide those who need most of all to stand together.**_

_**A darkness stirs.**_

_**The Imperium is bloodied, but not defeated. And it is enraged. Embittered. And angry. The beast is stirring, and now threatens to sweep away the Pridelands in its counterblow.**_

_**Old magics are dying, as the heavens burn. The desperate actions of Great Kings have yet to play out to fruition. Impossibly, new Magic is rising. New Shaman.**_

_**Vitani, Almasi, Damu and the rebels, who fled from Pride Rock so long ago have returned to their ruined home. Sara and Inti have seen their friend, return a changed Lion.  
Kiava, King of the Pridelands, will do whatever it takes to restore his Kingdom, and end the scourge of the Imperium. Danyal and Sundar must make some decisions, regarding their live and their love if they are be together, and Sundar, Asante, Calin and Rafiki work to discover precisely what is happening with the Spirit of the Pridelands, as the orphaned leopard cub joins the lioness and hyena in coming to terms with the unimaginable power they have inexplicably been granted, if they are to stand against Marsade, and his shadowy master.**_

_**The Dark Shaman have not been idle.**_

_**Their plans are only just beginning to unfurl.**_

_**The End has come.**_

_**The End of All Things.**_

* * *

**Coming soon:**

* * *

**Lion King Legacies – Book V: Apocalypse**

…

…

_**The End has come.**_


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